In collaboration with the Bayan team and in consultation with students, parents, tutors, and community members, we developed three short workbooks and a reflection journal:
-
Living my youth with purpose (from now on Living my youth): Lessons focus on life’s purpose, friendship and romantic relationships, spiritual values, and chastity.
-
Youth with equality: Lessons focus on elements of comprehensive sexuality education including gender, puberty, relationships, violence, contraception, personal skills (including communication, negotiation, and decision-making with a focus on child marriage), and sexual health (including sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, and pregnancy).
- A reflection journal where students reflect upon the content studied in the workbooks.
-
How to guide our adolescent children (parent workbook): Includes the content of the two student workbooks tailored to parents.
| Name of Text | Grade | Lessons |
| Living My Youth with Purpose | 7 |
Lesson 1: What do I want for my future? |
| Youth with Equality |
Lessons 1-9: 7th grade Lessons 10-12: 9th grade |
Lesson 1: Child marriage: Causes and consequences. |
| How To Guide Our Adolescent Children | Parents |
Lesson1: Developing trust with your children |
In the Theory of Action section, we identified the problems found during our exploratory research to understand the causes of CM in rural areas of Honduras. The knowledge that we acquired guided the design of the curricular products through the identification of change drivers, which refer to the events, activities, behaviors, or resources “that facilitate the implementation of change throughout the organization and, specifically facilitate individual adoption of change initiatives” (Whelan-Berry & Somerville, 2010, p. 177). After identifying the main problems to address, change drivers were identified for each problem. Lessons were developed for the workbooks to address all the problems that were recognized.
|
Problem |
Change Driver |
Theoretical basis |
Lessons in Workbooks |
|
1. Prevalence of gender inequality in families and society at large |
Cognitive dissonance about gender norms. Exposure to positive role models that challenge gender stereotypes. Deeper analysis of how gender inequality promotes CM. |
Cognitive dissonance Marianismo Capabilities approach Prototype willingness model |
Living my Youth: 10 Youth with Equality:2-4 |
|
2. Lack of awareness about the biological, psychosocial, and cognitive changes that occur during adolescence |
Knowledge about the biological changes that occur during puberty Knowledge about the social changes that adolescents go through puberty Cognitive dissonance about the stigma around girls’ and boys’ sexuality Deeper understanding of the role of puberty and intimacy in CM |
Adolescent development framework Marianismo |
Living my Youth: 1-5, 15 Youth with Equality: 1 |
|
3. Adolescents are not aware of the consequences of child marriage and hold false beliefs about child marriage |
Knowledge about the causes and consequences of CM in Honduras Case studies that portray the lives of girls who marry early. |
Collective practices and false beliefs Prototype willingness model Marianismo |
Living my youth: 4 Youth with Equality: 1,8 |
|
4.Impulsive decision-making processes in adolescents regarding romantic relationships |
Reflection about one’s meaning of purpose/happiness Appeal to taking decisions after analyzing one’s situation and life goals. Exposure to positive and negative case studies of scenarios regarding CM. Exposure to information and examples that will challenge the false beliefs they have about CM. |
Collective practices and false beliefs Prototype willingness model Marianismo |
Youth with Equality: 5, 6, 7 |
|
5. Prevalence of unhealthy romantic relationships among teenagers |
Discussion of the personal qualities that contribute to healthy relationships Understanding of the characteristics of healthy/unhealthy relationships. Discussion of the characteristics and benefits of assertiveness |
Prototype willingness model. Marianismo |
Youth with Equality:1, 8 |
|
6. Lack of awareness of the legislation that protects bodily integrity, particularly of minors by community members, parents, and students |
Review of local legislation connected to CM and bodily integrity. |
Prototype willingness model Capabilities approach |
Living my youth: 6-14 Youth with Equality: 9 |
|
7. Limited knowledge and access to sexual reproductive health (SRH) resources |
Discussion around the importance of SRH for personal well-being Knowledge about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. |
Adolescent development framework Capabilities approach |
Living my youth: 16-19 Youth with Equality: 10-12 |
|
8. Conflict at home/ poor communication between parents and children |
Exposure to positive role models that help parents improve communication with their children. Exposure to the changes that students go through adolescence. Information about CM and early pregnancy and the importance to have open communication about these issues. Information about the importance of sexual reproductive health. |
Adolescent development framework Marianismo Prototype willingness model |
*Parent workbook |