Independence Highway® Evaluation results
Independence Highway® is a 4-5 day sexuality and relationship education program that presents the potential risks of early sexual involvement but also highlights the many positive reasons to wait to have sex. We provide an energetic, fun and interactive presentation to 9th and 10th grade students in their health classrooms.
We are a medically accurate, fact-based program that emphasizes the importance of avoiding the risk by abstaining from sex. Topics that are covered include, peer pressure, refusal skills, media’s influences, STIs, pregnancy, abstinence, goal setting, abusive relationships, love vs. infatuation, starting over.
During each school-year, Independence Highway is presented to more than 6,000 adolescents in over 40 venues (schools, churches and in-home presentations).
The Impact among Students
Below are examples of the impact our program has had on students:
- “I can explain how STIs are passed”: Pre 71% || Post 95%
- “I can recognize signs of abuse in relationships”: Pre 26% || Post 88%
- “I can explain the losses of becoming pregnant as an adolescent”: Pre 71% || Post 94%
- “I can explain the differences between love and infatuation”: Pre 49% || Post 88%
- “I know you can choose abstinence even if a person was sexually active in the past”: Pre 72% || Post 100%
- “I can explain the negative impact of drugs and alcohol on adolescents”: Pre 84% || Post 94%
- “Abstinence is the only 100% protection from STIs and pregnancy”: Pre 82% || Post 100%
- “I can identify how media influences adolescents”: Pre 62% || Post 98%
The overall increase was PRE 64% and POST 95%.
Feedback from Students and Teachers
Below are a few comments from our students and teachers:
“Waiting for sex is a good idea because there are many consequences like pregnancy, STI’s, and inner feelings of sadness.”
— a female student from Palatine
“I learned how my life could change in just 5 minutes of having fun.”
— a male student from Vernon Hills
“Independence Highway(IH) comes to my health classes every semester. IH provides accurate and important information to my students. The presenters are experts in their field and give practical ways for students to deal with issues such as STI’s, pregnancy, abusive relationships, peer pressure and the media among other things. I would recommend this program to other teachers in middle and high school.”
— Kari Burden, Health Teacher at Cary-Grove High School