Power Teen! |
|
Power Teen! was developed in 2003 when educators, school nurses, and parents requested family programming that addressed sexuality for older children 12 to 15 years old. The two night program deals with abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, communication and goal setting. |
History and Goals
Power Teen! was developed in 2003 when educators, school nurses, and parents requested family programming that addressed sexuality for older children 12 to 15 years old. The two-night program deals with abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, communication and goal setting.
The goals of this program are:
- To inform young people of adolescent age of normal biological and psychological changes they will experience as they continue to grow toward adulthood.
- To encourage family dialogue especially in the areas of relationships and sexuality.
- To explore facts and feeling related to sexuality in order to provide children with the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy decisions in the future.
Facilitator & Parent Roles
The Johnson County Health Department offers the Let's Get Growing! and Power Teen! classes to schools and various community organizations. We utilize a “family-centered” approach. The instructors present factual information and facilitate discussion, and the parents and teens share their views with one another.
The primary objective of the facilitators is to convey factual information while encouraging communication within the family. Our facilitators are health educators, nurses, and counselors. They are comfortable discussing the subject matter and are experienced at creating a relaxed, fun atmosphere for the families.
Parents need to be the primary sex educators of their children. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy reports that 87% of teens say it would be easier for them to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations with their parents. However, 90% of parents who believe they should talk to their kids about sex say they don’t know what to say, how to say it, or when to start. Hopefully, participation in these two programs will help families begin a healthy conversation about sexuality that can continue throughout adolescence.
For the Power Teen! classes only, the parents and teens will separate for about half of each session to discuss information pertinent to each group and then join together for activities and games.
Class Details
Click here for class details.
Program Details
The Power Teen! program is presented on two nights usually from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Each teen must be accompanied by his or her parent or caregiver. The boys and girls will be taught together in the same room. The parents and teens will separate for about half of each session to discuss information pertinent to each group and then join together for activities and games.
Classes are sponsored by schools, churches, or community organizations. Sponsors help in promoting the class to participants and arranging the meeting space and audio/visual equipment.
Contact Information
If you have questions or are interested in hosting a Power Teen! program, please contact:
Tabitha Wagoner
Health Educator
Johnson County Health Department
11875 S. Sunset, Suite 300
Olathe, KS 66061
(913) 477-8392
Fax (913) 477-8053
tabitha.wagoner@jocogov.org
