High school kids learn lessons on life and love - KOAM TV 7

High school kids learn lessons on life and love

Nevada High School students tackle life lessons instead of reading and math with presentations called "My Life" and "Man Up".

Teens often hear what you do now, especially in dating relationships, can affect your future.

But in this weeks presentations students controlled much of the conversation.

Junior and senior boys spent Monday in a program called "Man Up" and on Tuesday the girls participated in a program called "My Life".

Both programs let students ask questions about uncomfortable topics.

Girls get to gab in circles with mentors prepared to tackle any issue from "my boyfriend dumped me" to pressure about sex and other relationship topics.

Cell phones could be used to text questions they wanted answered and later a panel of three professionals gave them straight talk about making good choices, having healthy fun and putting respect and responsibility first.

In addition to the question and answer sessions, the girls were treated today to an elegant lunch, each getting a rose and a mirror shaped like a princess crown.

Principal Debra Workman says it may be pink but it's not playing into stereotypes of women being weak - just the opposite.

"We want our girls to be happy they're girls - I want them to be excited that they're young women and they have the world at their feet," says Workman.  "They can do and become whatever they want to be.  Some of these girls have never had fine China at dinner or lunch, they've never been given a flower.  They haven't been treated the way we want them to be  treated, with respect and the respect they deserve as young women."

Three big goals of the program:  Valuing one's self, the worth of others and developing positive life goals.