Healthy relationships lessons part of virtual health library

Lessons to help youth ages 14 to 16 build and maintain healthy relationships are among a virtual curriculum launched this week through the University of Wyoming Wallop Civic Engagement Program.

Jean Garrison, co-director of the Wallop Civic Engagement K-12 Curriculum Project, said the virtual health content library was launched by the project Monday, and the 10 lessons on healthy relationships are part of that.

The lessons were created by Alyssa McElwain, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and are available for school counselors and afterschool programs as well as accessible to students directly. Garrison said they include discussions of personal identity, healthy relationship principles, communication skills, decision making, warning signs of abuse and breaking up. The goal, Garrison said, is to provide teens with key knowledge and skills for current and future relationships.

The virtual health content library caters to topics linked to Wyoming’s health education content and performance standards. Garrison said the virtual catalog resources include short video presentations and accompanying teacher resource guides and handouts. Teachers also have the option of scheduling an “Ask Me Anything” session with expert presenters. She said each module takes 15 to 40 minutes.

McElwain is a certified family life educator who focuses on relationship education in adolescent and adult populations. According to a release from UW, more virtual health library content will be added over the coming months.

The Wallop Civic Engagement Program K-12 Curriculum Project represents a collaboration among UW’s College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies, the Trustees Education Initiative and the Office of Engagement and Outreach.

To access the information, go online to www.uwyo.edu/wyolearn/, click on the link to the WyoLearn catalog then click on “Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Project.” A WyoLearn step-by-step guide is available at http://bit.ly/wyolearn-enroll.