Our Programming
Teen Talk New Jersey, a program of The Cooperative, delivers free, evidence-based youth programs funded by the New Jersey Department of Health. Programs are facilitated by specially-trained health educators.
For more information and to learn how your school or organization can take advantage of these programs, please reach out to us at teentalknj@thecooperative.org.
Programs for Youth
One-Time Presentations
Health educators provide presentations on healthy relationship skills, LGBTQ+ awareness, goal setting, positive decision-making skills and health and wellness. These presentations can be designed to fit the audience’s needs.
Get Real
Comprehensive Sex Education That Works
Get Real is a unique curriculum promoting a holistic understanding of sexual health for high school students. The program goes beyond traditional sex education, emphasizing social and emotional skills as essential for healthy relationships and responsible decision making. It advocates for abstinence as a safe choice for high school students, and offers a comprehensive overview of sexual health, ensuring students have age-appropriate information for informed decision-making.
Topics include:
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Gender, sex and shared Responsibility
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Sexual identity and accessing sexual healthcare
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Reasons and methods for preventing pregnancy
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Preventing STIs and HIV
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Social media literacy and sexuality
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Healthy and unhealthy relationships
How we do it?
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Value, support and respect
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Engaging parents
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Inclusive and learner-focused lessons
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Open and honest communication
Youth Development That Works
Do you want to inspire and prepare young people to succeed? Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP®) empowers teens by providing the tools and opportunities needed to lead healthy and successful lives. TOP® is a place for teens to interact with their peers and participate in activities that promote positive youth development.
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While participating in TOP®, teens will learn and develop:
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Healthy behaviors
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Life skills
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Sense of purpose
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Topics include:
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Relationships
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Communication skills
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Values
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Goal setting
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Sexual health
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Teens participate in community service projects where they can practice the skills they are learning. TOP® is intended for middle school or high school youth.
TOP® is a 9-month program that requires: 25 one-hour weekly club meetings, 20 hours of community service learning and parental or guardian consent.
Love Notes
Relationship Skills for Love, Life and Work
Not Sure? Try a Pilot!
At The Cooperative, our health educators are here to support the needs of your organization. If you like a program above, but need it customized to fit your youth, let us know. We can tailor programs to fit any number of sessions. We can also tailor each program to focus on a particular topic like emotional health, sexual health, goal setting, values or communication skills.
Contact us to find out more!
Programs for Parents
Teen Speak®
A Guide to Understanding and Communicating with Your Teen
We know building relationships with a teen isn't always easy, and communication can sometimes be a challenge. Our Teen Speak workshop is here to help! At no other time (except for the first 2 years of life) do people go through so much change, so quickly. Understanding exactly what is happening during this stage of development— and why— can help parents support their teens during this physically and emotionally challenging time.
Teen Speak® workshops equip parents and supportive adults with the strategies, techniques and solutions needed to comfortably and confidently talk with your teen to reduce risks and build even stronger relationships.
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Teen Speak® presentations are available in either one 4-hour session, two 2-hour sessions or four 1-hour sessions.
Professional Trainings
Our health educators are not just committed to cultivating well-being in youth, we are here to support professionals and programs that serve youth as well! With over 10 years of youth-centered programming and experience working with diverse youth populations, our team works hard to support other youth programming in New Jersey and beyond. Below are some professional courses we offer. We are also able to tailor courses and create content to better serve your training needs.
Supporting Transgender Youth
These workshops offer a plethora of nuanced guidance, practices and resources for professionals on the transgender experience and prejudice experienced by the transgender community. This workshop can be designed for any audience whether it is a social service organization or medical provider.
Teen Dating Violence
This one-time professional training talks about teen dating violence, what it is and how you can make prevention efforts more successful. Through this training, participants will learn about assessment tools that provide insight to what teen dating violence is and how to use empowerment models effectively with teens.