Counselor: Personal / Social
The Virtual High School Counseling Program assists students in acquiring an understanding of, and respect for, self and others. The program also helps students develop the skills necessary to become responsible citizens. Through virtual conferences and virtual classroom guidance lessons utilizing platforms like Adobe Connect and Jabber IM, students learn to understand the relationship among and the importance of respecting rules, laws, safety, and the protection of individual rights. Students also understand when and how to utilize peer, school, family, and community resources to resolve conflicts.
Students learn how to apply problem-solving and decision-making skills in order to make safe and healthy choices.
Standard G
Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to understand themselves and appreciate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of others.
Standard H
Students will demonstrate effective decision-making, problem-solving, and goal-setting skills.
Standard I
Students will understand and use safety and wellness skills.
The following are useful online resources that address personal and social wellness:
Prevent CyberBullying & Internet Harassment: http://www.cyberbully411.com/
Stop Cyberbullying: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
National Crime Prevention Council: http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use: http://csriu.org/
CyberSmart! Cyberbullying Awareness Curriculum - a positive and empowering suite of K-12 lessons provided free to schools. These materials can facilitate prevention of cyberbullying at the classroom level, and help provide outreach to families and the community.
Teandiversophy - TeenDIVERSOPHY provides learning tools, programs, products and resources for teachers, schools and organizations that are striving to build strong, healthy, inclusive, affirming environments for high-school age students in the U.S.
Diversity Activities for High School from Diversity Council.org - This website offers a variety of lesson activities in cultural diversity and community awareness containing illustrations, discussion questions, essay ideas, and more.
NIDA for Teens - National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens.
Marijuana: Facts for Teens - Facts about marijuana written especially for teens. This site includes topics such as: information about marijuana and how it's used, teen usage statistics, reasons for smoking, its short and long-term effects, how to tell if someone has been using marijuana, what it does to the brain, and how to quit.
Teen-Anon - Help for Teens Who Drink or Abuse Drugs And All Those Who Love Them!
Something Fishy - Get information on the symptoms, factors, dangers and treatments for different types of eating disorders. Also learn about recovery and search through their directory of treatment centers across the country.
Bam! Guide to Getting Along - What should you do when someone takes your seat or shoves you in line; or someone asks you to do something you don't want to do? This guide can help.
Healthy Relationships: a Guide for Teens - Learn about what makes a healthy relationship, be it within or outside your family.
Love is Respect - The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline's site is full of information to help you form a healthy relationship, or get out of a dangerous one.
Environment. Your Choice - Tips, games and more from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Environmental Literacy Council - Designed to guide K-12 students to the best resources available on the Internet. Search by topic: Air, Water, Forests, Climate, Food, Biodiversity, Energy, Population and Waste.
EPA Student Center - A site where students in middle and high school can explore a wide range of environmental issues including information on awards, scholarships, internships, club projects and fun activities.
Digital Citizenship: www.digizen.org - The Digizen website provides information for educators, parents, caregivers, and young people. It is used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourages users of technology to be and become responsible DIGItal citiZENS. It shares specific advice and resources on issues such as social networking and cyberbullying and how these relate to and affect their own and other people's online experiences and behaviors.
Chat Safety: http://www.chatdanger.com/ - a site all about the potential dangers on interactive services online like chat, IM, online games, email and on mobiles.
Blog Safety: http://www.childnet-int.org/blogsafety/yp.html
Connect Safely: http://www.connectsafely.org/safety-tips-and-advice.html - Safety tips and advice about Online Safety 3.0
NetzSmart: http://www.netsmartz.org/netteens.htm - teens share their own "Real-Life Stories" about issues affecting them on the Internet such as cyberbullying, online enticement, and giving out too much personal information.
OnGuard Online offers safety tips for Tweens and teen - http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/safety-tips-tweens-teens.aspx
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/concerned.asp
http://kidshealth.org/teen/ - TeensHealth: Explore hundreds of articles for teens - from braces and diets, stress and birth control, to healthy eating and common colds. Get answers to your questions and learn how to take care of your body.
http://www.learntobehealthy.org/teens/ - Health Science education tools for teens.
http://www.teengrowth.com/ - TeenGrowth is an interactive website tailored toward the health and well-being of teenagers.
My Pyramid.gov - Explore the official new food pyramid from the United States Department of Agriculture to learn about the food groups and to see how much physical activity you should be getting. Take an animated tour of the new pyramid. Discover a wealth of ideas that can help you get started toward a healthy diet. There are tips for each food group, physical activity, eating out, a sample menu, and more.
The Safe Space - A project of Break the Cycle, this is the most comprehensive resource on the web where teens and young adults can learn about domestic and dating violence, as well as their legal rights and options.
Cell Phone Safety - Resources from the National PTA association on cell phone use and safety.
National Crime Prevention Council - Violent Crime and Personal Safety.