Curriculum Schools We Work With Educators Parents Padres Curriculum What is the IYG Curriculum? It’s Your Game…Keep It Real!© (IYG) is an evidence‐based, abstinence-plus curriculum, originally developed in 2004 by the University of Texas Prevention Research Center. Abstinence-plus curricula promote abstinence, while also teaching students how to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy, STDs, and HIV. The IYG curriculum also teaches students about healthy relationships, goal‐setting, refusal skills, and delay tactics. The IYG curriculum consists of 24, 50-minute lessons taught across 7th and 8th grade and includes classroom lectures, computer lessons, parent‐student homework, personal journaling and group discussions. Typically, the IYG curriculum is taught in science, health, or PE classes, however it can be incorporated into the scope and sequence of any course. IYG Curriculum Overview Why the IYG Curriculum? In 2010, middle school teachers within CUSD and LAUSD identified a need for comprehensive sexual education in their classrooms. KIR-T found that the IYG curriculum would be a good fit for the community as it filled that need and was designed with African American and Latino youth in mind. The University of Texas Prevention Research Center found that students who received the IYG curriculum: Additionally, students who received the IYG curriculum had: Increased positive beliefs about abstinence. Greater intentions to abstain from sex. Listed more reasons for not having sex. Increased condom use for sexually active students. Greater intentions to get tested for HIV/STDs. Reduced incidence of dating violence. Rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia are highest among 15- to 19-year-olds and are higher among young females than males. These infections increase the risk for HIV transmission and can lead to infertility and chronic pain. Delaying sexual onset and increasing protective behavior can reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and STDs, thus improving academic performance and attendance. Sources: Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Fleschler Peskin, M., Shegog, R., Addy, R. C., Escobar-Chavez, S. L., & Baumler, E. (2010). It’s your game: Keep it real: Delaying sexual behavior with an effective middle school program. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(2), 169–179. Markham, C. M., Tortolero, S. R., Fleschler Peskin, M., Shegog, R., Thiel, M., Baumler, E. R., Addy, R. C., Escobar-Chaves, S. L., Reininger, B., & Robin, L. (2012). Sexual Risk Avoidance and Sexual Risk Reduction Interventions for Middle School Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Adolescent Health, 50(3), 279–288. Implementation of IYG in Los Angeles County From 2011 to 2021, IYG was implemented in the LA and Compton Unified School Districts through the support of two federal grants from the Office of Population Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services (Grant Numbers TP1AH000079 and TP1AH000113). Through KIR-T, the IYG curriculum was incorporated into many CUSD & LAUSD middle school classrooms and was met with overwhelming support from district staff, teachers, students, and parents. Highlights include: 106,195 students reached 416 teachers training in IYG 300 teachers trained in additional topics related to comprehensive sexual health education In addition, the KIR-T project accomplished: 50 Families Talking Together workshops conducted More than 1000 youth-friendly healthcare guides distributed in schools Development and launch of the pocketguidela.org website, providing information about youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services Success/Results The IYG program was evaluated from 2012 to 2018. Each year, we surveyed about 1500 youth enrolled in 9th-grade classrooms in high schools that were feeder schools for IYG middle schools. In our evaluation, we compared 2 cohorts of students who had received IYG in middle school with 2 cohorts that had not received IYG. We found evidence for program impacts, with IYG students reporting lower rates of initiation of sexual behaviors and pre-sexual behaviors (such as touching private parts). In addition: IYG participants were more: Confident in their ability to refuse sex Likely to set personal boundaries for having sex Likely to believe that abstinence is important; they should delay sex And they: Demonstrated a better understanding of condom use Reference: Rohrbach, et al., Effectiveness Evaluation of It’s Your Game: Keep it Real, a Middle School HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection/Pregnancy Prevention Program. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64 (2019), 382−389. Schools We Work With Currently, KIR-T works with the following middle schools in CUSD and LAUSD: Compton Unified School District (+) Bunche Middle School Community Day Middle School Davis Middle School Enterprise Middle School Roosevelt Middle School Walton Middle School Whaley Middle School Willowbrook Middle School Los Angeles Unified School District (+) Adams Middle School Audubon Middle School Byrd Middle School Clinton Middle School Cochran Middle School Drew Middle School Edison Middle School El Sereno Middle School Elizabeth Learning Center Gage Middle School Gompers Middle School Le Conte Middle School Los Angeles Academy Middle School Liechty Middle School Maclay Middle School Markham Middle School Muir Middle School Mulholland Middle School Nimitz Middle School Obama Global Prep Academy Ochoa Learning Center Pacoima Middle School Pio Pico Middle School Porter Middle School San Fernando Institute for Applied Media San Fernando Middle School Sepulveda Middle School South Gate Middle School Southeast Middle School Stevenson Middle School Vista Middle School Walnut Park Middle School – School of Social Justice Walnut Park Middle School – Stem Academy White Middle School Wilmington Middle School If you are at a middle school within either CUSD or LAUSD and would like to bring the IYG curriculum to your school, please contact us. Educators Administrators KIR-T is supporting schools in implementing It’s Your Game…Keep It Real!© (IYG), an evidence-based, abstinence-plus curriculum. The IYG curriculum meets state standards, as well as the health requirements for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The goals of the IYG curriculum include: Delaying sexual contact and preventing teen pregnancy. Empowering students to set life goals and stick to them. Schools that choose to collaborate with KIR-T will receive: Teacher and school nurse trainings. Materials at no cost to the school. Healthcare provider guides. Assistance with establishing a condom availability program. IYG support. We invite you to contact us about assessing your school’s needs and resources, identifying potential gaps, and deciding on what programs are right for your school. School Nurses The IYG curriculum covers a range of sexual and reproductive health topics including, but not limited to: Changes in male and female anatomy and physiology during puberty. Recognizing the risk of getting pregnant and contraceptive methods. The types and modes of transmission, and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases. If your school uses the IYG curriculum, students in the 7th and 8th grades will be learning about these important topics. We encourage you to talk to the implementing KIR-T teachers at your school if you want to know more about what students are learning about each of these topics. Additionally, there are two lessons in the curriculum that specifically make reference to resources students can receive from their school nurse. Lesson 13 refers to a “Provider Guide,” which is a list of clinics where students can receive reproductive health care. NOTE: If your school is currently implementing the IYG curriculum, a member of the KIR-T staff will deliver this resource to you. Lesson 15 discusses the proper use of condoms and the ability to receive free condoms from their high school. NOTE: Condom distribution is currently only supported at the high school level. Nurses at schools that collaborate with KIR-T may also receive trainings regarding confidential medical release. If you are a school nurse who is interested in learning more about the curriculum, please contact us. Teachers The IYG curriculum is an evidenced‐based and abstinence-plus, comprehensive sexual health education curriculum. It has been adapted to a target population that is culturally similar to Los Angeles. This curriculum meets California state health standards as well as the Los Angeles Unified School District 7th Grade Health Skills requirement. Additionally, supplemental activities have been developed to further align IYG with the Common Core State Standards. It is effective, well-designed, and virtually free to schools. Schools that collaborate with KIR-T receive: Free IYG training for teachers. Free curriculum and materials. Ongoing curriculum support. Access to the Teacher Toolkit. KIR-T supports participating schools through the Teacher Toolkit, an online resource that provides technical assistance and step-by-step instructions about implementing the IYG curriculum. All curriculum materials are downloadable through the Teacher Toolkit. If you currently teach at a school that collaborates with KIR-T, you are automatically eligible to receive access to the Teacher Toolkit. If your school does not currently collaborate with KIR-T and you are interested in receiving information on how to bring the IYG curriculum to your school, please contact us. Note that at this time we are only able to bring the IYG curriculum to middle schools within the Compton and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. IYG Curriculum Overview Teacher Advisory Board The Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) is comprised of veteran KIR-T teachers who work in conjunction with KIR-T Staff on program development and sustainability planning. The TAB meets quarterly and works on various projects in the interim. Past successes of the TAB include generating Common Core supplemental activities for the IYG curriculum as well as the Teacher Toolkit found on this website. If you are a KIR-T teacher who is interested in learning more about the TAB, please contact us. Parents California state law allows school districts to provide comprehensive sexual health education in grades K-12. Many middle schools in Compton and Los Angeles Unified School Districts are choosing to implement It’s Your Game…Keep It Real!© (IYG). IYG is an evidenced‐based, abstinence-plus curriculum. As an abstinence-plus curriculum, it promotes abstinence while also teaching students how to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy, STDs, and HIV. Two studies from the University of Texas Prevention Research Center found that students who received the IYG curriculum delayed having sex and had more positive beliefs about abstinence. Besides reproductive health, the curriculum teaches students about life skills including: Healthy friendships and relationships. Selecting, detecting, and protecting your personal rules. Setting goals. Refusal skills and risk reduction strategies. The IYG curriculum encourages students to have conversations with their parents about these topics by incorporating parent-student homework assignments. If your student is currently participating in the IYG curriculum, it is available for review at the school’s main office. If you have questions, please see your student’s KIR-T teacher or principal. Materials for Parents: IYG Curriculum Overview and IYG Level 1 Lesson 6 (Homework) In addition to supporting sex education in the classroom, we provide a curriculum for parents. If you are interested in learning how to talk to your child about sex, attend one of our workshops! Padres La ley de California permite a los distritos escolares para proporcionar una educación integral de la salud sexual en los grados K-12. Muchas escuelas secundarias del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Compton (CUSD) y Los Ángeles (LAUSD) están eligiendo implementar ¡It’s Your Game…Keep It Real!© (IYG). IYG es un currículo con énfasis en la abstinencia, y basada en la evidencia. Como un currículo de la abstinencia-educación integral, que promueve la abstinencia y al mismo tiempo enseñar a los estudiantes cómo protegerse de embarazos no deseados, enfermedades de transmisión sexual y el VIH. Dos estudios de la Universidad de Texas, Centro de Investigación de Prevención encontraron que los estudiantes que recibieron el currículo IYG pospone de tener relaciones sexuales y tenían creencias más positivas acerca de la abstinencia. Además de la salud reproductiva, el currículo enseña a los estudiantes acerca de habilidades para la vida diaria, incluyendo: Amistades sanas y relaciones. Selección, detección y protección de sus reglas personales. Establecer metas. Habilidades de rechazo y estrategias de reducción de riesgos. El plan de estudios IYG anima a los estudiantes a tener conversaciones con sus padres sobre estos temas mediante la incorporación de las tareas de padres y estudiantes. Si su hijo está participando actualmente en el currículo IYG, está disponible para su revisión en la oficina principal de la escuela. Si tiene algunas preguntas, por favor vea al maestro enseñando el programa IYG o director de la escuela. Para los padres: IYG Nivel 1 Lección 6 (Tarea) Además de apoyar la educación sexual en la clase, ofrecemos un plan de estudios para los padres. ¡Si usted está interesado en aprender a hablar con su adolescente sobre el sexo, asistir a una de nuestras clases!
