Peer pressure to drink alcohol and use drugs is increasing.

Learn how life skills can help your school or community group.

Saying NO to Drugs

Growing up is tough. Peer pressure to drink alcohol, use drugs and join gangs is increasing. Sixty-percent of Illinois teens in the 8th, 10th and 11th grades used alcohol during the past year, according to a recent study.

Through its Life Skills program, C4 reaches out to area youth, teaching personal and social skills to build self-esteem. The goal is to help pre- teens make healthy choices and avoid using drugs and alcohol. The highly successful Life Skills curriculum equips pre-teens with the skills to resist peer pressure to smoke, use drugs, drink alcohol and join gangs. Students also learn non-violent ways to resolve conflict. They also learn how to make good decisions, cope with anxiety, relate to peers, and how to set realistic goals. Students learn about sexual violence and date rape- how to recognize and prevent the abuse.
Life Skills uses a 17-week curriculum presented by C4’s Prevention Specialist. The program also includes home visits so that parents can help children resist drugs and say no to gang involvement.

Life Skills has been presented to 6-8th graders at several North Side school, including Horace Greeley and William C. Goudy elementary schools. Besides schools, the program can also be useful for community organizations, Scout troops, and churches.

For more information on how Life Skills can help your school or community group, contact Joe Bussle at 773.765.0762, joe.bussle@c4chicago.org, or Maria Donamaria at 773. 765.0769, maria.donamaria@c4chicago.org.