Between Friends operates a program called Relationship Education: A Choice for Hope (REACH), one of the largest and most comprehensive teen dating violence prevention programs in Illinois.
In Chicago Public Schools classrooms, REACH educators teach students in the 6th through 12th grades about issues including empathy, consent, boundaries, and conflict resolution in all kinds of relationships. All our prevention programming aligns with the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning standards and National Sexuality Education Standards.
In the last school year, the REACH program saw 3,122 students across 15 schools, eight of them new to us. Here are some comments from students who participated in the program during the last school year:
“I learned that there are some hotlines that can actually help you if you are in an abusive relationship.”
“I learned how to spot unhealthy and toxic relationships and how to deal with them as well as help others deal with them.”
“I learned common ‘red flags’ that happen in abusive relationships.”
“I learned how to treat your partner with respect and to know the boundaries of your relationship.”
“I learned a lot about the different types of abuse in relationships, and it opened my eyes to the idea that abuse can come in many ways, not just the typical physical abuse. I learned more about sexual and gender identity and different ways of expressing them. This program was really cool and taught me a lot.”
REACH continues over the summer with YCARE, a six-week teen leadership program in which students from schools on the southside of Chicago are trained to address domestic violence as a community issue. In this twice weekly program, we aim to raise students’ awareness about relationship issues and also expand their cultural knowledge, by taking them to popular Chicago locations such as the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Garfield Conservatory. Our goal is to give young people resources related to relationship education and to provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership skills (students plan a local event as part of the course).