New Runaway Prevention Curriculum to Help America’s Youth

                                                                                                                                  

WASHINGTON (October 24, 2007) – Representatives from the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) joined the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus today to announce and raise awareness of a new resource to help teachers, social workers and community leaders throughout the country combat America’s runaway crisis – Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum.

“Somewhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away each year, and we need to bring these numbers down,” said U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13), Co-Chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus. “We must get to them before they walk out that door. The NRS’s Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum is a great tool for educators and other caring adults to reach out and help children cope with the unique challenges that may be driving them from their homes.”

NRS developed the curriculum in collaboration with DePaul University’s Center for Community and Organization Development (CCOD), key community leaders and youth. It is presented in 14 modules offering lessons to help teachers and community-based organizations lead discussions with youth – Communication and Listening; Adolescent Development; Personal Influences; Peers; Families: Roles and Responsibilities; Runaway Reality; National Safe Connections; Community Response and Responsibility; Anger Management; Stress Reduction; Drugs and Alcohol; Sexuality and Sexual Orientation; Internet Safety and Fun; and Future Life Planning.

“The Let’s Talk curriculum is designed to help educate youth about alternatives to running away,” said Maureen Blaha, NRS executive director. “It’s about communication, building life skills and finding resources for kids who may be at-risk.”

NRS and DePaul University’s CCOD worked closely for the past three years putting the program together.

“This curriculum is what teachers and the community told us they needed,” said Dr. Gary Harper, Professor of Psychology at DePaul University. “We don’t have to sit back and watch our country’s young people run away. We can do something about it.”

Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum is free of charge and is available for download at www.1800RUNAWAY.org or by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY.

The National Runaway Switchboard, established in 1971, serves as the federally-designated national communication system for homeless and runaway youth. NRS, with the support of more than 150 volunteers, handles an average of 100,000 calls annually providing crisis intervention, referrals to local resources, and education and prevention services to youth and families throughout the country 24 hours a day.

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