Heritage Keepers^® Abstinence Education

The Heritage Keepers^® Abstinence Education I and II are each 450 minute curricula developed to equip and empower adolescents to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage. They can be effectively implemented as stand alone programs, or used as part of a more systemic process model with additional school and community-based components.

The goal of the Heritage Keepers^® Abstinence Education program is to reduce the number of teens initiating sexual activity and increase the number of sexually active teens returning to abstinence. Heritage uses theoretical models and various methodologies in program implementation. The Heritage Keepers^® Abstinence Education program encourages teens to develop a strong sense of personal identity and worth, set protective boundaries, resist negative peer pressure, determine and protect personal values and goals, and set high standards for themselves. A significant amount of the curriculum focuses on reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), specifically discussing STD symptoms, treatments/cures, and prevention (all with information provided by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and approved for medical accuracy). Condom efficacy is also explained in relation to each STD.

Heritage Keepers^® educators are trained to address the varying levels of sexual experience among teens including sensitivity to those who may have been sexually assaulted or abused. This holistic curriculum has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students who have gone through the course, with post program interviews indicating that more than 90% of participating students strongly liked the program and instructor and would recommend it to a friend.

The most recent publication of the Heritage Keepers^® curriculum in 2008 was approved by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, for medical accuracy and sound referencing. Heritage ensures that the curriculum is research-based with over 80 references from widely accepted social science research to support curriculum information. The Heritage Keepers^® curricula have long been approved by the National Abstinence Clearinghouse for adherence to federal A-H legislative requirements for abstinence education as set forth in Section 510(b) of Title V of the Social Security Act. The Heritage Keepers^® program also meets all 66 standards of the CDC-funded SMARTool (Systematic Method for Assessing Risk-avoidance Tool).

Heritage Keepers^® Life Skills Education

The Heritage Keepers^® Life Skills Education is intended to be a maintenance program for the Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education 450 minute curricula developed to equip and empower adolescents to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage. It is part of our systemic process model. There are five Heritage Keepers^® Life Skills curricula with each containing twelve lessons related to character development and avoiding all risky behaviors. The Life Skills curricula were written around recognized public health standards for adolescents. The Life Skills curricula have all been reviewed and approved by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, for medical accuracy and sound referencing from widely accepted social science research.

Parent Education

Heritage Community Services has created a book to empower parents to teach abstinence to their children. Heritage believes that parents are the best people to talk to teens about sex, yet many parents feel ill-equipped to broach the topic with their adolescents. The book will help you help your teen: Develop Personal Identity, Set Boundaries, Resist Peer Pressure, Embrace Abstinence and Prepare for Marriage and Future Family. This book is the go-to manual for parents to begin frank discussions with their children about sex and protective boundaries. Sex, Lies and Hook-Ups: A Parent's Guide to Fighting Back.

Please visit www.sexliesandhookups.com for more information or contact  Heritage Community Services (Heritage@heritageservices.org) or 843-654-7740 ext 120

Faith Community Education

Faith and Community leaders have significant roles in reducing adolescent sexual activity within a community. Teens need to hear the abstinence message from multiple adults in a community in order to make the strongest impact in that community.

Though Heritage Keepers® programs are not faith-based, many faith and community leaders partner with Heritage in order to be trained in how to teach abstinence education to the adolescents in their agencies, churches, synagogues, temples, etc. Heritage Community Services is primarily interested in providing training and resources for faith and community leaders so they can, in turn, provide training for those in their community. Heritage offers free training for agencies to use the Sex, Lies and Hook-Ups (Parent Program) and also provides in-depth training in the Heritage Keepers^® Abstinence Education curriculum.