Prevention & Education Programs

Prevention & Education Programs

For over 50 years, Response for Teens has provided experiential, prevention-based education to teens, professionals and parents in the Chicago area and beyond. Program participants receive in-depth, honest information on current topics impacting tweens, teens, and those who parent them or work closely with them. 

We can adapt our programs to fit a wide range of settings: schools, synagogues, summer camps, and other organizations that work with teens. We can also customize the content of our programs based on your needs.

WORKSHOPS

Each workshop can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a community. Workshops can be presented as a single session or combined with another offering. 

Gender and Sexuality 

Students will understand the difference between categories of identity related to gender and sexuality, unpack gender roles and learn how to make spaces like school more LGBTQ+ friendly.  

• Gender and Sexual Identity  
• Unboxing Gender Roles 

Healthy Dating and Relationships 

Students will understand key differences between healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships. They will also learn the importance of boundaries and consent, and the consequences of rape culture.  

• Boundaries and Consent  
• Bystander Intervention and Social Action  
• Communicating in a Relationship  
• Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships  
• Teen Dating Violence 

Mental Health, Stress and Self-Care 

Students will understand warning signs of a mental health concern, learn how to support their peers and destigmatize conversations around mental health.  

• Body Image  
• Self-Care and Self-Advocacy  
• Stopping Stigma  
• Teen Mental Health First Aid  
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (for adults) 

Substances and Addiction 

Students will gain knowledge around decision-making with substances, identify the risk factors of engaging in use and understand addiction as a disease rather than a choice. We can talk about the following topics in one session or individually.  

• Alcohol  
• Cannabis 
• Opioids and Fentanyl  
• Substances and Decision Making  
• Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vaping  
• Youth Gambling (new!) 

Sexual Health and Wellness 

Students will learn accurate terminology for reproductive anatomy and the function of the reproductive system and increase autonomy surrounding their own sexual health.  

• Anatomy  
• Knowing Your Reproductive Health Rights (for ages 12+)  
• Methods of Protection  
• Puberty  
• Sexually Transmitted Infections 

Social Media 

Students will learn how to exercise critical thinking and find positive ways to use social media and understand how to stay safe online.  

• Digital Sexual Safety  
• Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship  
• Pornography and the Teenage Brain  
• Sex and Social Media  
• Social Media Safety 

Team Building and Leadership 

Our adaptable leadership workshops are designed to foster self-awareness, critical thinking, and effective communication skills. Response educators will guide students through discussions and activities with the following goals:  

• Understand the concepts of courage, respect, responsibility, and innovation as they apply to team building  
• Learn about bystander intervention and empower students to use positive conflict resolution skills  
• Create an environment of students who believe in themselves as changemakers 

Our team of educators are experts on adolescent development and are diligent about staying up to date on trends and issues impacting young people and their families. Our staff can deliver an inclusive and informed message to any group, large or small. 

To bring a Response prevention and education program or guest speaker to your organization, email Alyssa Robbins, Director of Response for Teens.