The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act authorized funding for Personal Responsibility and Education Program (PREP) grantees with the requirement that instruction include at least three of the six “Adult Preparation Subjects” outlined in the funding announcement are incorporated in curriculum implementation. Each curriculum used in the CHART program already addresses this requirement. As a result, CHART districts can demonstrate full compliance with this statutory requirement without additional instruction.

The following table describes each of the six Adult Preparation Subject areas, with those in bold font being the areas addressed in the CHART curricula. This information is compiled from the PREP Adult Preparation Subjects Resource Guide.

SUBJECT EXPLANATION EXAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES/SKILLS/COMPETENCIES
Healthy Relationships

“Relationships are interactions between people that are ongoing, voluntary, and mutually acknowledged…Factors associated with healthy…relationships include trust, honesty, support, open and honest communication, flexibility, fun, enjoyment, respect, equality, and limit setting.”

Programs may not be limited to adolescent or romantic relationships but may also include marriage and family interactions.
  • Information about gender-based stereotypes (including sexual double standards)
  • How to show caring and affection without having sex
  • Conflict management skills
  • Parent-child communication
  • Communication skills
  • Limit setting and navigating different limits in relationships
  • Skills to develop healthy relationships
  • Identifying unhealthy relationships
  • Skills to safely end unhealthy relationships
Adolescent Development The “transition to adulthood” which “extends beyond the physiological changes that occur in adolescence to also encompass cognitive, emotional, social, sexual, identity formation, and spiritual change and growth.” It involves the “development of healthy attitudes and values about adolescent growth and development, body image, racial and ethnic diversity, and other related subjects.”
  • Youth empowerment
  • Fostering a group or community identity
  • Gender-based empowerment and community awareness
  • Mentorship
  • Connections to the community
Financial Literacy “Programs that seek to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to personal finance…in general, the terms implies a level of basic knowledge or competence about financial concepts such as the ability to balance a checkbook, manage a credit card, prepare a budget, take out a loan, and buy insurance.”
  • Basic savings
  • Credit management
  • Home ownership
  • Retirement planning
Parent-Child Communication “Positive communication between parents and children greatly helps young people to establish individual values and to make healthy decisions. Positive parent-child communication can help adolescents have healthy and responsible sexual decision-making by providing accurate information and by creating open lines of communication.”
  • Sexuality education homework assignments (to complete or discuss with parents/ adults)
  • Programs for parents and their children (single or multi-session groups)
  • Programs for parents only (single or multi-session groups or workshops)
  • Programs for parents of students in sex education classes
  • Home-based programs for parents and their children (home visits)
  • Media campaigns (videos, radio, newspaper, TV, fliers, newsletters)
Educational & Career Services “Programs that develop skills for employment preparation, job seeking, independent living, financial self-sufficiency, and workplace productivity. These programs generally seek to improve academic performance, increase school attendance, increase school engagement and/or increase school completion.”
  • Mentorship
  • Case management
  • Academic support and/or homework help
  • Activities focused on building skills related to academic and employment success
  • Transition planning for teens with Individualized Education Plans
Healthy Life Skills

“Goal-setting, decision making, negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills, and stress management.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines life skills as “abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.” Specific skills and everyday demands may vary throughout the course of adolescence and across different sociocultural groups. Life skills include, but are not limited to, communication, decision-making, coping, self-management, goal-setting, and avoidance of unhealthy behaviors.”
  • Self-motivation and self-efficacy
  • Strengths-based programming
  • Interactive learning/apply skills outside classroom
  • Service and volunteerism
  • Skills-based programming