Designed and facilitated by NHF, Be a STAR girls is a
school-based teen pregnancy prevention program for adolescent females at-risk
for a first time pregnancy. The program focuses on healthy behaviors, family
planning, skill development, communication, and goal oriented behavior to
empower teen girls to prevent unplanned pregnancies and improve their overall
health, well-being, and success in life.
We recently caught up with
one of our Be a STAR graduates, Ty’Kese, before she headed off to
college. Ty’kese epitomizes what Be a STAR is all about. She is a Successful
Teen Acting Responsibly. Pregnancy and parenthood
cause many young, promising teens to drop out of school. And dropping out of
school can completely devastate their lives and shut down otherwise bright
futures.
High school drop-outs face
unemployment, poverty – and shorter lives. Yes, you read that correctly. There
is a significant link between education and health. High school graduates live
longer than high school dropouts. College graduates have even longer life spans,
better access to health care, better dietary and health practices, and overall
better health.
Ty’Kese is smart and
interested in making a difference in others’ lives. She’s a vegetarian. She
wants to study psychology and social work as an undergraduate and then earn her
master’s degree. She prides herself on asking questions and being well informed
in the classroom and in the world at large.
Ty’Kese was surprised when
the social worker at her high school recommended she get involved with NHF’s Be a STAR girls program. Although she’d
had a few pregnancy scares, she really didn’t think she was at-risk of becoming
pregnant. Plus, helping to take care of her younger brother at home, she felt,
gave her a good idea of what it would be like to be a young mother. It didn’t
seem like it would be that hard.
The truth is she didn’t want
anything to do with Be a STAR girls,
but she sat in on one session and was hooked. She loved getting honest, factual
information about health and sexuality. She loved being in an atmosphere where
she could freely ask questions. She appreciated having the opportunity to learn
more about her own body in a safe environment with other girls. And it was eye
opening for her to have myths such as, "you can’t become pregnant when you have
your period" debunked.
What is shocking is that Ty’Kese
had taken several other health and sex education classes and said she learned
more in just a couple of Be a STAR sessions than she ever learned before. Be a
STAR prepared her for adulthood by giving her full information about her birth
control options and helping her set forth her personal goals for the next two,
five, and ten years.
The goal setting exercises
caught her attention. Yes, she enjoyed helping take care of her little brother,
but now she saw how completely different this would be from actually being a
young mom. In one exercise, Ty’Kese created a daily schedule of what her life
would be like as a parent. This “as if” schedule showed her an unending string
of early mornings, grueling days, and the difficulty of getting someone to
watch her baby while she went to school. She could see how extremely difficult,
if not impossible, it would be to reach her goals in these circumstances.
Ty’Kese is more concerned, careful,
and knowledgeable about birth control than she used to be. Her eyes are wide
open. She pays attention to her own body and is self-aware. She wishes Be a
STAR was required for all girls at her former high school.
She wants to be a mom one
day, when she’s ready, perhaps in a decade, after she has completed her
education and has a good job as a social worker. For now, Ty’Kese wants to
enjoy being a student and focus on her goals for a life that will be filled
with achievements and the prospect of long-term health.
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