Some organizations provide after-school programs for kids and teens in an effort to help them learn to make good choices. In other situations, schools offer this kind of mentoring and education. However, A Positive Approach to Teen Health (PATH) is a local nonprofit organization that offers both outside the classroom programs and specialized curricula for teachers in their push to help Northwest Indiana youth.
One way that PATH is making an impact close to home is through the Liv.True program that has been provided for East Chicago students with the help of a Foundations of East Chicago (FEC) grant. This program utilizes college student volunteers to teach East Chicago teens about pregnancy prevention, relationship violence and valuing oneself.
While PATH offers numerous programs for students in after-school, YMCA and Boys and Girls Club settings, they also sell their own curricula from the Positive Potential program for teachers and counsellors across the nation to purchase and use on their own.
The goal of PATH is to help teens in NWI and the country as a whole to make positive choices surrounding the topics of drugs, sex, alcohol and relationship violence. This is coupled with a push for increased self-worth and passion for attaining future goals among the youth.
The Positive Potential program and its curricula are aimed at students in grades 6-8 and are available for purchase on the PATH website. They also come with access to PDFs and videos to enhance the educational experience. Instructors may also purchase ‘student kits’ to go along with each curriculum. These function like workbooks and give students the opportunity for additional learning through take-home activities and assignments.
By providing program curricula to teachers around the nation, PATH is expanding its reach and working to help all teens to lead healthier and happier lives. To learn more about how PATH is helping teens, visit www.FoundationsEC.org.
