Helping Volunteers Work with Youth with Special Needs
Easy to read fact sheets help adults feel comfortable working with youth with special needs. Fact sheets give a definition, characteristics of special needs, and suggest how adults can be most helpful.
They are available at: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/specialneeds/
Facing the Challenge
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be faced with a visual, hearing, or physical impairment? This workshop will allow teens to experience these impairments. Teens will increase their sensitivity to the challenges of everyday life that a person with special needs might experience. One hour program
Resolving Personal Conflicts
Personal conflicts can often be resolved by using some easy to
remember strategies. "I Messages" and "Reflective Listening" are
two proven strategies for helping people resolve conflicts. Two hour program
Let's Party: A Guide to Drug Free Parties for 5th to 8th Graders
Parties are a time of fun and enjoyment for our children. They can, however, also be a time of challenge and decisions. Your child may feel pressure to drink alcohol, try drugs, or participate in other activities that you do not find acceptable.
Available at: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/party/
Community Approach to Prevention
This program is designed to help communities develop coalitions to address issues facing youth from at-risk environments. The curriculum is designed to have youth and adults work together to review the collaborative process, assess the current situation, develop vision and goals, and design a community action plan. This is a multiple session program.
Community Natural Leader Program (CNLP)
CNLP is designed to provide individuals living in at-risk environments the skills to overcome feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. Participants are empowered to use these new skills to gain confidence in their ability to solve their own problems and to help other people in their community.
The topics of the ten week training program include: values awareness, listening skills, problem solving skills, understanding the behavior of children and adolescents, encouraging responsible behavior in children, understanding the helping role, conflict resolution, and where to find help in the local community.
After a Community Natural Leader graduates from the program, he or she completes a project that they have designed to improve the quality of life in their community.
The Impact of Media Violence on Children
Violent and aggressive behavior is a complex problem with a complex set of causes. Research shows that exposure to TV violence is one of the factors related to aggressive behavior in children. This program provides information on the causes of violent behavior, the role television plays in the development of aggressive behavior, strategies for caregivers to help children filter TV messages, and ways to take action to reduce the influence of media on children. Two hour program
Role of Fathers
Explore the importance that fathers play in the lives of their children. This program asks fathers to look at how they are involved with their children, breaking the "father" stereotypes, and encouraging fathers to become more involved. One or two hour program
Stereotypes
Helps participants look at the stereotypes they have and what they can do to avoid stereotyping people. Two hour program
