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ENABL (Education Now And Babies Later)

Seminole County’s teen pregnancy rates and STD infection rates are too high; both of which have serious consequences for young people. In response to this problem, the Seminole County Healthy Start Coalition, Inc. implemented the ENABL (Education Now and Babies Later) Program.

ENABL is a school-based program offered to 6th graders in Seminole County Public Schools to teach them why sex at their age can be dangerous and why it is great to wait. ENABL uses an abstinence only curriculum to help pre-teens develop strong communication and refusal skills and learn how to set personal limits when making choices about sex. The curriculum was developed by a team of psychologists specifically for pre-teens between the ages of 10 – 12 years of age.


The program is designed to involve 6th graders in thinking about, discussing, and practicing the use of information and skills that will be helpful in managing their developing sexual feelings. Giving preteens the skills to handle pressures they will encounter from their peers as well as the pressures of sexual images they are exposed to through the media will enable them not only to make better decisions about sexual behavior, but to carry out the decisions they make. Participants in ENABL will learn about and discuss issues regarding:
  • Reasons teens become sexually active
  • Consequences of risky behavior
  • Reasons to wait to have sex
  • The nature of puberty and how to handle curiosity about sex
  • Peer pressure and how to say “No” to peer pressure to become sexually active
  • The influence the media has in giving teens mixed messages
  • The nature of relationships
  • The need for setting limits on expressing physical affection

The goal of ENABL is not to replace parents in teaching children about sex. Throughout the program we constantly stress the importance of getting good, accurate information in order to make the best possible decisions. We believe there is no better source than parents. We encourage the youth in our program to talk to their parents and share their feelings.

Preteens accept more on “face value” than do older teens. They are more likely to do what they are shown to do whether or not they fully understand it. Teaching them the skills to resist peer pressure at an early age, will enable them not only to make better decisions about sexual behavior, but to carry out the decisions they make. In later teen years, they will be more capable of fully understanding the value of such decisions.

The goal of ENABL is not to replace parents; we encourage the youth in our program to talk to their parents and share their feelings.

To find out more, including information for parents, information for teens, and information on becoming a volunteer, contact the ENABL Program at 407-830-7235 ext. 299.

ENABL is a program of the Seminole County Healthy Start Coalition and funded by grants from the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and the Florida Department of Health. This is the 8th year the program is being offered in Seminole County Schools.


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Seminole County Healthy Start Coalition, Inc. 407-830-7235
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