The ReL8 program exists to influence youth to pursue a lifestyle of saving sex for marriage in the counties of Downstate Illinois. The goal of the program is to increase the percentage of adolescents aged 12 – 18 years who choose to practice abstinence until marriage, that are underserved by other systems, and open to the message of delaying sex until marriage. ReL8 is a program of Mosaic Pregnancy and Health Centers in Granite City, IL. ReL8 began in January 2006 and is currently educating students in schools across more than 21 counties upon receiving a 5-year Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grant in October 2007. We are adding new schools each month and are hoping to make an impact in each community!
ReL8 is partnered with the following agencies:
Crisis Pregnancy Center of Eastern Illinois - Charleston, Illinois
Family Life Pregnancy Care Center - Effingham, Illinois
Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center - Taylorville, Illinois
Life Network of Southern Illinois - Waterloo, Illinois
Pregnancy Care Clinic - Centralia, Illinois
ReL8 equips youth with information and relationship skills they need to make educated, factual, and positive choices for their lives – especially in the area of sexual health. The truth is powerful – abstinence is the only 100% effective way to avoid the risks of sex outside of marriage.
Additionally, most youth aspire to have a happy, healthy marriage in their future, but lack the support and knowledge needed to achieve this goal. Therefore, ReL8’s program goes beyond avoiding the consequences of having sex outside of marriage to teach youth about the goal of building healthy relationships – now and in the future.
ReL8 has developed a four part strategy to positively influence youth to save sex for marriage. This strategy begins in the classroom and moves into youth’s lives to reinforce their decision to save sex for marriage.
Class 8 - Using Project Reality’s middle and high school curriculums, Game Plan and Navigator, ReL8 presenters deliver 8-days of presentations
Beyond 8 – An interactive website with ongoing resources including our ReL8 Blog, Ask the Expert, our Latest Contest and much more
8 Events – Events in ReL8 communities that provide youth with opportunities to have fun with others in positive environments
Peer 8 – A program designed for youth leaders to become a positive influence in the lives of other youth
The desired effect of this process is to influence youth’s actions, behaviors, and opinions about saving sex for marriage. ReL8 believes saving sex for marriage is worth pursuing. It provides youth with the best and healthiest future.
Promoting this message requires the support of parents as youth’s first and most effective teachers. ReL8 seeks to partner with parents by providing them information about communicating with their youth through our parent website, www.parentReL8.com and our Parent Power Workshops offered to schools in conjunction with our Class 8 presentations.