Community Bridge Builders Inc. will begin its Building Bridges for a Path to Success project at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The program has five objectives:
• to reduce the number of reported sexually transmitted diseases in teens.
• to increase the awareness of youth about the knowledge and skills that support sexual abstinence until marriage.
• to increase parent/child communication about saving sex for marriage.
• provide youth with age appropriate educational, social and cultural enrichment experiences that reinforce abstinence.
• to inspire teens to become accountable to themselves and their future by developing leadership skills.
“This particular program is an abstinence program that will be held Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,” said Ed Pope, CEO of Community Bridge Builders. “We’re using Choosing the Best curriculum for grades 6-12.”
Choosing the Best was developed by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The curriculum uses a multi-year, sequential approach for students and will use discussion groups and community service projects as teaching tools.
Participants will also be able to speak with social service professionals and perform in dramatic skits that emphasize abstinence during the course of the program.
“This program is very labor intensive,” said Pope. “We are encouraging volunteers to lend their support to make this project successful.”
The program will also feature opportunities for parental involvement.
“One of the greatest challenges for this project will involve the recruitment and retention of parents,” Pope said. “There is a parenting piece that goes along with it.”
Though the first meeting of the program will be Tuesday, an abstinence rally will be held Aug. 21.
“On Aug. 21 we’re going to have a kick off that kind of get kids in a mindset of what the abstinence program is going to be,” said Pope.
The rally will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. CBB will be giving away school supplies, backpacks and T-shirts to youth at the Saturday event.
The Building Bridges for a Path to Success project is open to the first 60 teens, ages 12-18, to register. There are also 25 parent slots available.
Applications for the program may be obtained by calling Nick Evans at (662) 402-7240 or (662) 843-3301.