Interview with Amplify’s Director
“The talk”: It’s a tricky conversation for parents to broach with their rolling-eyed teenager. But if not parents, who will provide teens with accurate information?
Thanks to a Amplify Youth Development, parents now have a partner in raising teens to make healthy choices. In this interview with Andrea Nelson, program director for Amplify Youth Development, she discusses how Amplify assists teenagers in making decisions that help them achieve their goals.
What is at the heart of your mission?
Andrea Nelson: We want students to enjoy a healthier future. When I say ‘healthy’ I mean physically as well as mentally and emotionally healthy. We want students to be able to create fulfilling, intimate relationships as adults. (read article >)
Are you seeing any trends in teen behavior?
Every year, we see positive shifts in teens’ attitudes. We conduct surveys with students that indicate they leave classes feeling better equipped to make healthy choices, build age-appropriate relationships and make good decisions for their future.
How many DuPage County schools use Amplify’s program?
We serve more than 30 different schools in the county. Each year, more than 7,000 students hear our presentations. That includes both middle schools and high schools, both private and public. In addition, Amplify Youth Development offers educational presentations directly to students through county community groups such as churches, park districts, and libraries. Amplify’s free program meets the state-mandated requirements for abstinence education.
What values do you espouse?
You could describe our program as health education meets character education. We teach teens how to think long term: how to set goals and then achieve them. This is done in the context of promoting the health benefits of postponing sex until marriage. That decision will effect a positive outcome in their current relationships and help them achieve lifestyle, education, and career goals once they become adults.
Isn’t abstinence a tough sell to students?
There seems to be lot of misunderstanding about programs that teach abstinence, much of it coming from the media or TV sitcoms. One criticism is that the message of abstinence denies students the information they need to be fully informed and healthy.
The exact opposite is true: In fact, we provide students a well rounded health education. We answer their questions, sometimes even personal ones, and we do so with honesty and authenticity. The program is not about giving or denying students permission to have sex; the program is about information and helping students to think through the decisions necessary to live healthy lives.
How do students respond?
I was co-teaching a high school class last year, and a young girl, a sophomore, approached us after the second day of presentations. We had been talking about the idea of choosing abstinence, even after someone has been sexually active. The young woman said that she had been sexually active with a series of boyfriends and felt frustrated and used. “I want to start over,” she said, “but I didn’t know how.”
When teens hear adults say, “Kids will have sex anyway,” they think sex is expected of them. We give students permission to choose something different going forward, even if they’ve been sexually active in the past. Students appreciate that.
How does your organization integrate its message with what parents teach at home?
We see ourselves as a partner with parents. We support the values of parents – and work hard to communicate those values to students. We offer free workshops specifically for parents. In our work at schools, we structure the educational process to encourage students to go to their parents for information and to talk about the issues that arise in class.
Our student-centered and interactive approach to teaching helps students contribute to the discussion. They feel as if they have worth and can set high standards for themselves and others. Good decisions are made for a better future.
“The talk”: It’s a tricky conversation for parents to broach with their rolling-eyed teenager. But if not parents, who will provide teens with accurate information?
Thanks to a Amplify Youth Development, parents now have a partner in raising teens to make healthy choices. In this interview with Andrea Nelson, program director for Amplify Youth Development, she discusses how Amplify assists teenagers in making decisions that help them achieve their goals.
What is at the heart of your mission?
Andrea Nelson: We want students to enjoy a healthier future. When I say ‘healthy’ I mean physically as well as mentally and emotionally healthy. We want students to be able to create fulfilling, intimate relationships as adults. (read article >)
Are you seeing any trends in teen behavior?
Every year, we see positive shifts in teens’ attitudes. We conduct surveys with students that indicate they leave classes feeling better equipped to make healthy choices, build age-appropriate relationships and make good decisions for their future.
How many DuPage County schools use Amplify’s program?
We serve more than 30 different schools in the county. Each year, more than 7,000 students hear our presentations. That includes both middle schools and high schools, both private and public. In addition, Amplify Youth Development offers educational presentations directly to students through county community groups such as churches, park districts, and libraries. Amplify’s free program meets the state-mandated requirements for abstinence education.
What values do you espouse?
You could describe our program as health education meets character education. We teach teens how to think long term: how to set goals and then achieve them. This is done in the context of promoting the health benefits of postponing sex until marriage. That decision will effect a positive outcome in their current relationships and help them achieve lifestyle, education, and career goals once they become adults.
Isn’t abstinence a tough sell to students?
There seems to be lot of misunderstanding about programs that teach abstinence, much of it coming from the media or TV sitcoms. One criticism is that the message of abstinence denies students the information they need to be fully informed and healthy.
The exact opposite is true: In fact, we provide students a well rounded health education. We answer their questions, sometimes even personal ones, and we do so with honesty and authenticity. The program is not about giving or denying students permission to have sex; the program is about information and helping students to think through the decisions necessary to live healthy lives.
How do students respond?
I was co-teaching a high school class last year, and a young girl, a sophomore, approached us after the second day of presentations. We had been talking about the idea of choosing abstinence, even after someone has been sexually active. The young woman said that she had been sexually active with a series of boyfriends and felt frustrated and used. “I want to start over,” she said, “but I didn’t know how.”
When teens hear adults say, “Kids will have sex anyway,” they think sex is expected of them. We give students permission to choose something different going forward, even if they’ve been sexually active in the past. Students appreciate that.
How does your organization integrate its message with what parents teach at home?
We see ourselves as a partner with parents. We support the values of parents – and work hard to communicate those values to students. We offer free workshops specifically for parents. In our work at schools, we structure the educational process to encourage students to go to their parents for information and to talk about the issues that arise in class.
Our student-centered and interactive approach to teaching helps students contribute to the discussion. They feel as if they have worth and can set high standards for themselves and others. Good decisions are made for a better future.
