OUR CURRICULUM
Project WITH draws its name from the people we “do life with” – our families, friends, peers, romantic partners, coworkers, and everyone in between.
Curriculum Overview
Young people’s skills for forming healthy relationships are shaped by the examples they see and the guidance they receive. When youth become involved with the justice or child welfare systems, their opportunities to learn, cultivate, and practice these skills are interrupted.
It takes system-involved youth, ages 15-24, on a journey through 12 powerful stories, folktales, and poems. Participants are encouraged to compare the stories with their own experiences, broadening their perspectives and insights. Along the way, youth learn to set goals, recognize the elements of a healthy relationship, and consider the consequences of their decisions before acting.
Journals for Project WITH are available without staples (perfect bound) for use in correctional facilities. They are also available at a lower cost with a staple binding for all other settings.
Note: Training is not required but encouraged to facilitate Project WITH. If you are interested in training, please call 800-695-7975 or email relationshipskills@dibbleinstitute.org for the latest information.
EVIDENCE & IMPACT
The 12 lessons in Project WITH are adapted from The Art of Loving Well, a character education, pregnancy prevention program published by the School of Education at Boston University in 1993. A rigorous evaluation of the program showed positive impacts with thousands of students. The adaptation was designed to engage system-involved youth in juvenile justice (diversion, gang intervention, detention, and re-entry) and child welfare (group homes, independent living, and foster care) settings.
A recent study conducted by the research and evaluation firm WestEd, found that the curriculum holds promise as an intervention for system-involved youth, including a positive and statistically significant impact on participants’ future orientation and ability to plan.
- Eighty-one percent of youth reported that Project WITH made them “much more likely” or “somewhat more likely” to make plans to reach their goals.
- Seventy-seven percent of youth reported that Project WITH made them “much more likely” or “somewhat more likely” to better understand what makes a relationship healthy.
- Sixty-six percent of youth reported that Project WITH made them “much more likely” or “somewhat more likely” to think about the consequences before making a decision.
About the Author
John Lewis is responsible for leading Able Works’ collaborative efforts to serve youth and young adults in the Southern California region. With expertise in conducting outreach to diverse organizations and community members while working across multiple fields to accomplish shared goals, John has designed and managed 12 county, state, and federal projects that have impacted over 25,000 youth and their families throughout Southern California over the last 20 years. John has 20+ years of experience in urban youth outreach and development. Connect with John on LinkedIn to learn more.
Review & Purchase the Curriculum
Learn more about Project WITH, including an overview of the program, sample lesson, supporting evidence, key content themes, and more. To purchase Project WITH, see our product offerings here. If you’re curious, but not yet ready to purchase it, you can review the entire curriculum, for free.
Program Length: 12 Lessons
Age Group: 15–24