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T&T
Documentary: Resolutions
For Peace Statistics |
PROGRAM DETAILS
Why Teens & Toddlers? At
the height of their sexual power and curiosity, it is difficult to convince teenagers
of the magnitude of changes and responsibilities that creating a new human
being would bring to their lives. For this reason we have developed a
multi-faceted educational program. Teenagers and toddlers are probably the
two age groups in which self involvement is at its highest. The
teenagers, faced with beings bubbling with strength, desires and feelings of
their own are overwhelmed by the demands of the toddlers, and see how the
infants' natural self-centeredness will impinge on the time and space they
need for personal interests and their own social development. We see
that these strong young people, after only a short time of playing with the
toddlers, usually declare themselves ‘exhausted’. How Teens & Toddlers works? Teens
are instructed from the Teens & Toddlers curriculum in
conjunction with supervised volunteering at daycare centers, local to the
participating high school, ideally two days a week at 4 - 5 hours per day for
14 weeks. Each session includes approximately 2 ½ hours of classroom time and
1 ½ hours of volunteering with toddlers.
Under the supervision of two trained, credentialed staff /
facilitators, the teenagers are escorted (generally on foot) to take on the
responsibility of caring for the toddlers during the hands-on part of
the curriculum at a daycare or preschool, utilizing the skills they learn
during classroom instruction. The program takes place in the high school for
most of one semester (approximately 14 weeks). The
program is revealing and enticing to young people, but we temper enticement
with the examination of the hardships and demands inherent in every step of
being a parent. From scientific research to skills for emotional
literacy, they realize how much better for their own life and for the health,
mental capacity and psycho/emotional well-being of their children it is to
wait until they can give what they
would have liked to have been given themselves. All of this
contributes to the teenagers’ decision to delay childbearing until they
are better prepared. Sample Teens & Toddlers Schedule: 9:20
– 9:35 Walk to daycare center 9:35
– 11:15 Volunteer at daycare
center 11:15
– 12:00 Walk back to high
school / LUNCH 12:00pm
– 1:00pm Classroom
Instruction |
