Middle School
“This program taught me the advantages of saving sex till marriage. I can use this in the future so that I can avoid the pressures of not staying abstinent. Also, I learned how to deal with harmful situations, so that I can use this information if I ever get into a bad situation. These important lessons will help me to protect my future, and have an even healthier life.”
“I think the most helpful thing I learned was to create positive relationships with my parents. They are the ones who can help me the most with my future problems because they have been there before.”
“From what I learned in [this class], I think knowing where to stop on the stairs of affection [helped me the most]. If you don’t know when and where to stop, it could lead you to do things you don’t want to do. It is better to save sex for marriage to avoid diseases and other harmful effects in my life.”
“I learned many things in [this class]. I learned how to build a better relationship with my parents, how to stand up to peer pressure, what my talents were, and how to appreciate the unique traits and talents of others. I think a better relationship with my parents will help me the most in the future because I will be able to go to them for help with any problem.”
“I think I will most likely use the parent relationship tips the most. Everyone gets in fights with their parents. It will be good that I know how to handle the situation now. Also the topic about [how] our choices today will affect our future.”
High School Students
“This class was the most useful source of information this entire year, because this information is something you might keep in your brain after high school.”
“I learned a lot about healthy relationships and abstinence. I learned that healthy relationships require a lot of trust and communication to succeed. Prior to this week I had already chosen abstinence but now I know what impact it could have. I also learned to make wise decisions because sex can impact you mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
“I learned so much during this class. Although I have always had the goal of staying abstinent until marriage, this class has given me more reasons to never discontinue that goal.”
“Although my plan has always been to stay abstinent, this gave me more reasons in case I’m ever tempted.”
“I choose abstinence and I have for a long time because of my religion. But I also believe that what you have taught me confirmed my reasoning to stay abstinent. I do not want to contract a STD and I do not especially want to get pregnant before marriage. That is a big deal in my culture and religion and you will be treated like a ‘slut’ if you do. So thank you for teaching us about the harms of STDs. I didn’t know much about it before you came.”
“Now, I understand the emotional and physical reasons it is important to save sex for marriage.”
“I learned what makes a good, healthy relationship and how to have a healthy argument, which will help me to have better relationships with others. I learned communication is a key part of every relationship and that you can always improve in that area.”
“I have learned so much this week. I don’t really get into relationships that often, but I have learned about how to have a healthy relationship, how to identify an unhealthy relationship, and how to build a good relationship. This class has prepared me for relationships later on in my life.”
“This class really opened my eyes about dating and relationships. I am going to be more careful with whom I spend my time on and date. Before this class I knew abstinence was a good plan, but it got verified because of this class.”
“Thank you for coming in to talk about creating positive relationships. I’ve learned a lot. There are some choices that I’m not proud of and now from hearing you talk I’ve created new boundaries that I intend to keep.”
“I learned that in the long run, you won’t regret abstinence and it’s the best choice to wait until marriage.”
“This class isn’t all about the sex. This class teaches so much more. Throughout this class, I learned so much about healthy relationships. I’ve realized that not having a boyfriend right now isn’t such a horrible thing. I don’t want to be in a relationship that influences me to do things I don’t want to do. The class taught me that it’s very important to know a person and to know everything about that person. How they behave at home, at school, how they argue and just them in general. It taught me that going into a clueless relationship will most likely end in failure.”
“I grew up with pretty strictly Christian friends so the idea of sex had never been a problem. As time went on we changed. You develop your own values, thoughts and morals, but it seemed like I was the only one who stayed the same. My friends constantly made “exceptions,” something I’ve never really been open to. More recently it’s been something I’ve been coaxed to [do] even more. So learning the true effects of sex, and it being way more than just a yes or no question, but a life changing decision. I’m so thankful not only for all of the important information, but also justifying that I’m doing something right.”
“Throughout this class I strengthened my opinion on abstinence.”
“What I think will be most helpful to me in the future is that I can be more careful of what kind of decisions I make in the future. I can make wise choices in what kind of people I should hang out with and to think twice about any actions or choices. It’ll help me be more careful. I know now.”
“It has informed me on the physical effects of sex before marriage, and even though I have always been against sex before marriage, it has added to my belief of why sex should be saved for marriage.”
“During these four days, I’ve learned two new things about relationships. I’ve learned to effectively communicate through listening, conversation, and compromising by looking through another’s perspective. Secondly, I’ve learned that I really suck at talking to female and male peers. These lessons on communication helped me understand why I am bad at communication.”
Parents
“My daughter has always talked with us about things, but I feel she is even more open now, and understands why we have certain rules.”
“It really helped open up the line of communication with my child. I thought it would be much more awkward and that he would be too embarrassed to discuss what he learned, but it was easy.”
“The world is moving too fast and I can’t keep my child in a bubble forever. Any parenting help I can get I will gladly accept.”
“I have had several children go through this program. It is always a great source of information for both students and parents. I really appreciate as a parent learning about what to be aware of when our children are using technology.”