CHOOSE LIFE
Choose Life is a curriculum for children and adolescents from 9 to 14 years of age, with interactive lessons that teach and identify choices and their consequences. This allows the children to make their own choices, which will influence their families and communities. These are based on biblical values such as love, peace, justice, freedom and having consideration for others..
The world has caused the children to be confused because of inconsistent teachings. They hear that they should think of others but are motivated and incentivized to fight for their own benefit at any cost. They learned that they shouldn’t do wrong things, but they see the ones in whom they trust break all the rules. They understand that Jesus loves them, but are taught that if they don’t behave, Jesus will punish them…
How Does it Work?
This program has helped the children to reflect through games and art work about what is going on around them. This enables them to have the resources to deal with the moral issues of life. They evaluate their choices on their own, as they reflect upon pertinent issues. For example, how they can prevent and/or resolve conflicts. Also how to relate to the local community and even all the way up to a national scale. Matters such as honesty and integrity; prevention of the drug use; HIV/AIDS and other aspects of safe sexual behaviour. Conscientious decisions, thoughtfully made, will help the children for the rest of their lives.
Choose Life has been developed with groups of children and adolescents in social projects, churches and schools. It can also be applied to family groups or other settings.
The curriculum can be followed with weekly lessons and done during a school year. However, the facilitators can be flexible with the agenda. They should seek to involve the children to participate in the five modules, so they can follow the curriculum and the pedagogical process and acquire the personal strength and autonomy that are desired.
The “Life Experience” model has proved its’ efficacy: first the students learn the value in question; next they observe this value in practice, both in the Bible stories utilized, as well as in the world around them. Finally, they are guided through a process of application and internalization of this value in their own lives, practicing choices and showing the learning they have obtained.
Choose Life was developed and implemented by Lifewords, in partnership with SIL international. It was launched in Kenya in 2006, followed by Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. In Brazil, the material was adapted to the local culture and tested in 2017 in a partnership with Mission Alliance and the Baptist National Mission Board.
The Material
Upon registration, you will receive, free of charge:
- The Facilitator’s manual: With all the guidance you need to prepare each lesson of the five modules; tips so that the classes will be interactive and playful, including the use of role-playing, group discussions, songs, games and so much more. There is also a lesson plan for the 35 lessons, ready for you to apply them. These files will be in PDF format.
- Instructional video: With important information for your preparation before you begin to develop the program for the children and adolescents.
- A Kit with 50 booklets for the use of each child/adolescent during the classes. At the end of each module everyone will receive one as a present.
If you have any doubts or questions you can count on our team to help.
“I would like to call all my friends to participate in the classes, that way they will learn to love their neighbour just as I did. I have improved at home and I’m getting better at school, because
of the lessons I learned.”
The Choose Life curriculum helps improve behaviour, acquiring important emotional capacities, activating cerebral areas, and reinforcing Christian and family values. It does so by being creative, pedagogical, and very rich in details. For these reasons, the use of this material is indispensable for social education in Brazil.”
