Local teens will soon learn relationship skills through a University of Illinois Extension program. The program aims to teach teens the ins and outs of healthy dating.
“Research has shown that helping teens acquire skills about healthy relationships can help prevent unhealthy relationships and future marital instability,” said Durriyyah Kemp, youth development educator at University of Illinois Extension.
The program will build dating skills through a series of classes.
“There are 12 lessons that the youth participate in. The youth learn about things like understanding your own identity, thinking about what you value, recognizing a healthy relationship, learning how to safely break up a relationship, recognizing signs of dating abuse, learning communication skills and thinking about how your choices today affect your future,” said Judy Schmidt, youth development educator at University of Illinois Extension.
Participants will learn to self analyze through the activities. One such activity involves a “value auction.”
“In the value auction, participants are given a list of things that they might value. For example, they might value a best friend, being well-liked, being honest or going to college. The valued items are then ranked. Participants are given $200 in play money to bid. At the end of the auction, we look at which values had the most money spent on them and then we talk about why those values are most important and how that affects your choice of a dating partner,” said Schmidt.
The University of Illinois Extension in East Peoria is currently engaged in a statewide initiative, funded by the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, to educate school staff, pre-service teachers and families about the benefits of social and emotional learning.
The program has been tested in two Illinois locations.
“We’ve done a pilot program in Abingdon and Champaign schools. The research from those programs has shown that teaching youth the skills they need to have healthy relationships does impact their success,” said Schmidt.
The program will begin this spring or summer, according to Schmidt.
“We’d like to run the program with two or three groups … We’re looking at piloting different formats. It doesn’t have to be a school. It could be a church group or a youth organization,” said Schmidt.
