Our Programs
SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens)
Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens (SMART) is our main program, and has been serving Greater Lansing youth for over 25 years! SMART delivers a message of hope to youth in a culture where teen sex is normalized and the serious consequences, if included at all, are presented as manageable or insignificant. We encourage them to consider the benefits of Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) when looking at their sexual options. All information given is medically accurate, peer reviewed and age-appropriate.
Our primary goal is to increase knowledge, develop skills, build confidence and enhance self-esteem. A secondary goal is to help them recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Our third goal is to see a reduction in the number of teens engaged in premarital sexual activity to avoid risks that can negatively affect their health and ability to achieve their goals.
“The SMART program had a positive and significant impact on the Upward Bound students this summer. As I observed the presentation and the responses of the students, they were eager to participate and asked many great questions. This information is crucial to teenagers as they develop relationships. ”
— Glenda Hammond, MSU Upward Bound, Program Director
Studies indicate that the vast majority of parents want their children to wait until marriage to have sex. They also want them to know the medically accurate limitations of condoms for preventing pregnancy and disease. Therefore we also include activities that drive home the fact that while contraceptives reduce the risks for pregnancy and disease, they do not avoid the risks all together.
Click here to view an outline of the SMART program.
Availability
Monday – Friday
Morning, Afternoon or Full Day
ON Location
Schools | Clubs | Groups
Granger Family Foundation
The SMART Program is proudly supported by The Joe D Pentecost Foundation. Thank you!
CSAPA (Childhood sexual abuse prevention and awareness)
1 out of 4 girls, and 1 out of 20 boys, are sexually abused before reaching age 18. (CDC, 2015) Considering this statistic and knowing the impact sexual abuse has on children and their families, ASPIRE has chosen to add a lesson to their SMART curriculum that teaches awareness and prevention of childhood sexual abuse.
The prevention and awareness lesson encompasses the following:
A personal story from a childhood sexual abuse survivor
Abuse statistics and predatory grooming process warning signs
Inappropriate vs appropriate behaviors
A "red flag" student-participation activity
Consent involves more than just saying "Yes"
Helpful resources for victims and their families
The prevention and awareness lesson can be taught as a "stand alone" one-day program, or can be an abbreviated addition to SMART's four-day program. Please feel free to contact us if you have additional questions or if you would like to implement our program at your school or youth club.
“I learned to respect women more and not to take it too far, because they may be uncomfortable or not ready.”
— Student, Eaton Rapids H.S.
Availability
Monday – Friday
Morning, Afternoon or Full Day
ON Location
Schools | Clubs | Groups
Seeking His Best
In this curriculum we take a biblical approach and expand on our SMART program by incorporating scriptural reasons for saving sex for marriage. We examine God’s plan for relationships and biblical roles within those relationships. We help teens understand the benefits of waiting and the value of sex. We also employ the primary prevention health model for optimal health reasons for abstinence, such as avoiding pregnancy and STDs, along with potential emotional consequences. We feel that even Christian kids need to see the practical outcomes of being sexually active. Our ultimate goal is to ignite a passion to seek God’s best, and back it up with medically accurate information to help strengthen their choice to wait.
“This program has been used to transform young lives in a wide range of public and faith-based contexts in immediate and measurable ways. It is a vital resource for equipping young people to successfully navigate the stressful “waters” of relationships, avoid the negative consequences of poor or uniformed choices, and reclaim the dignity and mental health many have lost through any poor decisions they have already made.”
— Fed B. McGlone III, Superintendent, New Covenant Christian School
Availability
Monday – Saturday
Morning, Afternoon or Evening
ON Location
Private Schools | Churches | Clubs | Groups
SMART Events
ASPIRE has expanded the reach of our programming by hosting and facilitating SMART events around Greater Lansing to empower youth through relationship education and leadership coaching. In these interactive events we educate, equip and empower youth to connect the quality of their relationships with the trajectory of their futures.
SMART events can be privately hosted for groups in Greater Lansing. Lasting 3-4 hours. Youth have the opportunity to learn skills, build confidence, and gain knowledge on how to make positive choices and build healthy relationships. They enjoy interactive exercises, role plays and scenarios, and mapping out their futures through creative activities.
Availability
Upon Request
Information on ASPIRE hosted events are shared on our social media platforms and newsletters.