These initiatives help youth & teens achieve and maintain healthy, active lifestyles. Health & life skills programs develop the capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well being, help them set personal goals, and live successfully as self sufficient adults.

kids holding a painted sign that says "take my hand and make a stand, be drug free!"

SMART Moves Program

This nationally acclaimed comprehensive prevention program helps young people avoid alcohol, tobacco, other drug use and life choices that lead to negative . The program features interactive small groups designed to increase participants peer support, enhance their life skills, build their resiliency, and strengthen their leadership skills.

Program Components:
Smart Kids, Children 6-9
Start Smart, Youth 10-12
Stay Smart, Youth 13-15

SMART Girls

An outgrowth of the popular SMART Moves program, SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self esteem enhancement program for girls ages 8-17. The program focuses on issues specific to female Club members and is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyle that will enable those members to develop their full potential. From interactive role-playing to more tailored mentoring, girls are given the opportunity to explore personal and societal  values as they build skills for living healthily and developing positive relationships.

two girls at a park
a crowd of girls sitting on a gym floor
two girls sitting together in a shaded pavillion
a group of boys smiling for the camera

Passport to Manhood

This program promotes, teaches, and reinforces responsibility and positive behavior in male Club members ages 11-14. Passport to Manhood consists of 14 group sessions and activities that concentrate on a specific aspect of manhood. Each participant is issues his own Passport to underscore the notion that he is on a personal journey of maturation and personal growth.

Gardening Program / Cooking Classes

Through the outdoor garden, members are able to gain a hands on approach learning system to gardening and cooking. From start to finish, members plant various fruits and veggies, learn about their nutritional value, and  tend to the produce throughout the growth process. Once the produce has been picked, youth & teens are taught how to turn the foods into healthy and nutritious meals in the kitchen.

girl showing off an herb she grew
a girl admiring a freshly harvested cabbage
a group of kids learning to cut vegetables
a group of pre-teens hanging out at a park

Choosing the Best

Choosing the Best is a program that encourages students to delay sexual activity as the healthiest choice for their physical, emotional, and future well-being. The program takes a "sexual risk avoidance" approach, helping students develop healthy relationships, make responsible decisions, build strong character, and learn skills for handling peer pressure and setting personal boundaries.
Students also receive age-appropriate information about contraception, including its benefits and limitations. However, the program emphasizes that delaying sexual activity is the most effective way to avoid the risks associated with teen sexual activity, including unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.