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Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
Smarts PLUS encourages sexual ethics, i.e., that mutuality, kindness, caring about the other’s feelings
and experience, and equality are important. Young people will examine some of the essential
conversations to have to discover if partners are on the same page for whatever level of physical
intimacy they engage in. This is vital not only for meaningful consent but also for a mutually positive
intimate experience.
This curriculum encourages teens to develop goals, boundaries, and a context and timing for
physical intimacy that is in line with their values, protective of their own aspirations in life, and
personally meaningful.
Finally, in their journal, participants will develop a personal plan for their sexual choices. Medically
accurate information on pregnancy, STIs, contraception, and condoms is included. This information
and the decision-making challenges are reinforced through films from Scenarios USA (written by
youth and produced by award-winning filmmakers) as well as other visual media, and role-plays and
refusal skills that are inclusive.
Woven into the program is new content on navigating relationships and intimate life in the digital age.
Several topics, such as the role of texting, sexting, social media, and internet pornography, are explored.
A New Message on Pregnancy Prevention
Many of our pregnancy prevention messages focus on a young person’s self-interest in how
a pregnancy would negatively affect them. Relationship Smarts PLUS takes a different track. It
encourages young people to step outside themselves and look more deeply at the consequences
of unintended or poorly timed pregnancy on children. By placing the child at center stage in a few
activities, participants are asked to generate a wish list of needs and wants “through the eyes of a
child”. Further, they are challenged to identify what might help parents provide these for a child. This
approach taps a more powerful and positive source of motivation to avoid an unintended pregnancy.
It helps bring home to all young people why it matters to be a planner—to wait to have a child (or
a second child)—if children are a part of their vision—until their lives are more settled with their
education/training, employment, and in a committed relationship—like marriage.
An Activity and Media-Based Approach
This curriculum is delivered entirely through activities that are informative, fun, upbeat, and affirming
of teen experiences. Relationship Smarts PLUS is packed with lively activities that use scenarios written
by diverse youth. It incorporates popular music, music videos, film, stories, poetry, drawing, sculpting,
and an engaging, interactive journal that helps teens apply curriculum concepts to their own lives.
The Trusted Adult-Teen Connection activities for each lesson are designed to convey core material to
parents or a trusted adult and serve as a catalyst for parent/adult-teen conversations on these very
important issues. Parent/adult-teen connectedness has been found to be the strongest protective
factor against risky behaviors, even beyond class, race, and family structure.3 These connection
activities provide a way to partner with parents or trusted adults and mentors in helping teens
navigate the choppy waters of adolescence.
Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
Smarts PLUS encourages sexual ethics, i.e., that mutuality, kindness, caring about the other’s feelings
and experience, and equality are important. Young people will examine some of the essential
conversations to have to discover if partners are on the same page for whatever level of physical
intimacy they engage in. This is vital not only for meaningful consent but also for a mutually positive
intimate experience.
This curriculum encourages teens to develop goals, boundaries, and a context and timing for
physical intimacy that is in line with their values, protective of their own aspirations in life, and
personally meaningful.
Finally, in their journal, participants will develop a personal plan for their sexual choices. Medically
accurate information on pregnancy, STIs, contraception, and condoms is included. This information
and the decision-making challenges are reinforced through films from Scenarios USA (written by
youth and produced by award-winning filmmakers) as well as other visual media, and role-plays and
refusal skills that are inclusive.
Woven into the program is new content on navigating relationships and intimate life in the digital age.
Several topics, such as the role of texting, sexting, social media, and internet pornography, are explored.
A New Message on Pregnancy Prevention
Many of our pregnancy prevention messages focus on a young person’s self-interest in how
a pregnancy would negatively affect them. Relationship Smarts PLUS takes a different track. It
encourages young people to step outside themselves and look more deeply at the consequences
of unintended or poorly timed pregnancy on children. By placing the child at center stage in a few
activities, participants are asked to generate a wish list of needs and wants “through the eyes of a
child”. Further, they are challenged to identify what might help parents provide these for a child. This
approach taps a more powerful and positive source of motivation to avoid an unintended pregnancy.
It helps bring home to all young people why it matters to be a planner—to wait to have a child (or
a second child)—if children are a part of their vision—until their lives are more settled with their
education/training, employment, and in a committed relationship—like marriage.
An Activity and Media-Based Approach
This curriculum is delivered entirely through activities that are informative, fun, upbeat, and affirming
of teen experiences. Relationship Smarts PLUS is packed with lively activities that use scenarios written
by diverse youth. It incorporates popular music, music videos, film, stories, poetry, drawing, sculpting,
and an engaging, interactive journal that helps teens apply curriculum concepts to their own lives.
The Trusted Adult-Teen Connection activities for each lesson are designed to convey core material to
parents or a trusted adult and serve as a catalyst for parent/adult-teen conversations on these very
important issues. Parent/adult-teen connectedness has been found to be the strongest protective
factor against risky behaviors, even beyond class, race, and family structure.3 These connection
activities provide a way to partner with parents or trusted adults and mentors in helping teens
navigate the choppy waters of adolescence.
