Teen Challenge

Hours of Operation:
Mondays
 
Time: 5:00-6:30pm We are committed to teach, mentor and provide girls the tools needed to overcome challenges.

• Provides support groups, educational awareness, life skills, health, etiquette and other support services for girls dealing with the pressures of adolescence.
• Decrease participation in “high risk” activities among juvenile female offenders.
• Offer year-round, after-school programming for “at risk” adolescent females and meet their unique needs through comprehensive intervention.

This program is funded by the Akron Community Foundation.

Why this program is needed:

There are key differences between boys and girls who take part in “high risk” activities. Boys tend to lash out, set fires, sta rt fights or carry weapons to get attention. Girls react in more subtle, but increasingly common ways - teenage pregnancy, delinquency or use/abuse of drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

7 Program Components

1. Abuse

One in every nine girls will experience some form of physical or emotional abuse prior to adulthood. This workshop educates girls on the various forms of abuse, teaches important coping skills and provides mechanisms that can be used to avoid abusive situations.

2. Asset Building

Utilizing the Search Institute’s Asset Approach, this program assists girls in their physical, spiritual and emotional development. Each girl is required to participate in a pre & post asset survey to evaluate needs and assess improvements in the various areas of internal and external assets.

3. Drug and Alcohol Abuse

This component is designed to educate participants on the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse. Real life examples are used to stress how these types of behaviors have long-lasting effects on the mind and body.

4. Fitness & Health

We have seen a sharp decline in fitness and activity among the nation’s young females. Each session includes fitness exercises designed to get girls moving – line dancing, aerobics and other fun activities. In addition, hygiene issues and nutritional concerns are discussed.

5. Image & Awareness

It's no secret that young girls have an image problem. Often, girls are portrayed in very demeaning roles, whether it’s in song lyrics, music videos, magazines or on television. This new program invites professional women of the community to act as speakers, mentors and role models to advise young ladies against participating in these trends.

6. Relationships

The program addresses the importance of positive relationships and strong communication skills. We aim to enhance participants’ abilities to openly express their feelings without being misunderstood or pre-judged. Appropriate peer-to-peer, male & female, adult & adolescent and female-to-female relationships will be examined to provide participants with the tools and knowledge necessary for effective communications.

This topic is addressed very carefully. While our primary focus is to promote abstinence, we also provide awareness and education for girls that have already become sexually active or have become unwed mothers. Abstinence: A Better Choice also provides workshops for further education and information on sexuality.