Welcome to
Choosing the Best Me . . . Choosing the Best Us!
Abstinence Education Program
In a society that many times glamorizes risky sexual behavior, today’s youth want to hear positive messages about making healthy decisions. What teens are looking for is the knowledge and real skills that will help them form true relationships and build character.
As a teacher, youth leader, pastor or parent you can help them learn the skills that will help them build a bright future!
Choosing the Best Me . . . Choosing the Best Us Abstinence Program is presented in a 60 - 90 minute presentation.
The presentation is designed to be educational and interactive and can be a supplement to health classes, religious education classes, and family life classes, both at the middle and high school levels.
What is covered in the presentation?
The content of the presentation can be tailored to fit the needs of any particular class.
Goals and Character
Examples of Choices Affecting Destiny
Importance of Goals
Identifying Goals
Definition of Character
Relationships, Dating, and Marriage
Stages of Physical and Emotional Intimacy
Setting Boundaries
Identifying Safe and Danger Zones in Stages of Physical Intimacy
Definition of Sex
Identifying Love Versus Infatuation
Consequences of Sexual Activity
Reasons Teens Have Sex
Respect, Responsibility, Restraint
Sexual Integrity
Ways Teens Try to Avoid Pregnancy and STDs (Condoms, Pill, Withdrawal, Abstinence)
Pregnancy (Parenting, Adoption, Abortion)
STDs (Herpes, Hepatitis, Human Papillomavirus, HIV/AIDs, Chlamydia)
Story of a woman who had an abortion.
Students will receive dating tips, student handouts, and an invitation to sign a pledge to commit themselves to chastity until marriage.
How can I get more information or schedule a presentation?
Contact Ruth Phillips, 951-303-1333, lifeservices2@yahoo.com
Call (213) 382-2156 and ask for Joanna Sanders or email her at lifeservices2@gmail.com.
Meet our team of speakers!
Mary Jo Bobie
Mary Jo Bobie began her journey in pro-life service fourteen years ago. She worked at a crisis pregnancy help center for several years, counseling women and men. Mary Jo brings her knowledge from her certifications in domestic violence, substance abuse, and abstinence education. She has worked with many youth ministry programs, spoken in various schools, and is passionate about getting her abstinence message, "Keeping it Real One Day at a Time!" out to the youth. She believes in spreading God's truth and the teens are motivated by her love and respect for them. Currently, Mary Jo is Assistant Director at the La Habra Life Center.
Kerri Caviezel
Kerri Caviezel has devoted her life to working with youth. She spent eight years teaching junior high and high school, and ten years with her second love, coaching basketball. Her interaction with young people made it evident to her that there is a great need for guidance and education to counteract the cultural message of death that is constantly being thrust on the youth of today. About nine years ago, Kerri started volunteering and speaking for the Pregnancy Counseling Center of Mission Hills in CA to combat issues threatening the Sanctity of Life. "What a gift it has been to speak to people of all ages, but especially teenagers who are the hope of our future."
Luis Galdamez
Luis Galdamez has dedicated his life to helping young people succeed in life by saving sex for marriage. Born in El Salvador, Luis came to the United States at age 14. Fluent in English and Spanish, Luis' "BOOOM!!!...HOW YOU DOIN??'" energetic style connects with youth regardless of their ethnic background. He is a versed and noted speaker on abstinence education in topics such as teen pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, why & how to wait for sex until marriage, and also in various issues such as race relations, race integration, youth development & leadership, and effective parent/youth communication. Luis uses his dramatic and exciting life story to dynamically illustrate the benefits of abstinence until marriage and of avoiding alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and violence.
Anna Kaczmarek
While in college, Anna Kaczmarek found her passion for speaking to teens in the areas of spirituality and sexuality. Through this work she helped found a chastity outreach program for the DC, Maryland and Virginia Metropolitan areas which sends speakers into schools and churches to talk with teens about chastity. For the past three years she has taught classes on chastity related topics to college students to better inform them of their call to chastity and empower them to minister to teens in their communities. From this ministry sprung a college level peer chastity team that is flourishing on the Catholic University of America campus. Her ability to journey with teens at their level allows for deep, hilarious, and honest conversations about God's call to Chastity for each of us.
Daniel Mansueto
Daniel Mansueto is passionately involved in the pro-life movement and abstinence education. He has given talks to high school students and adults as well as authoring published articles concerning sex-selection abortion, Row v. Wade, and Proposition 85 (parental notification of minors seeking an abortion). He currently is the President of the Board of Directors of the East Los Angeles Pregnancy Center, a member of the Life Issues Commission of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the Respect Life Coordinator for Deanery 13 of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Daniel uses his experience as an attorney and fervor for chastity to relate to audiences of all ages.
Helen Rossi
Helen Rossi has been taking her program, "Chastity in the City," to junior high schools for eight years. Her background of twenty-six years postpartum nursing and fourteen years as a counselor in a pregnancy Counseling Center provides her with a myriad of examples and stories. She relies on these to prove the points of her presentation. Adjectives used by students to describe her approach are "straight-forward, truthful, personal, caring, and humorous." Her favorite quote from student evaluations is "at least you have saved one of us."
International Life Services 2606 1/2 W. 8th St. Los Angeles, CA 90057 email: lifeservices@juno.com
ABOUT US
Mary Jo Bobie began her journey in pro-life service fourteen years ago. She worked at a crisis pregnancy help center for several years, counseling women and men. Mary Jo brings her knowledge from her certifications in domestic violence, substance abuse, and abstinence education. She has worked with many youth ministry programs, spoken in various schools, and is passionate about getting her abstinence message, "Keeping it Real One Day at a Time!" out to the youth. She believes in spreading God's truth and the teens are motivated by her love and respect for them. Currently, Mary Jo is Assistant Director at the La Habra Life Center.
Kerri Caviezel has devoted her life to working with youth. She spent eight years teaching junior high and high school, and ten years with her second love, coaching basketball. Her interaction with young people made it evident to her that there is a great need for guidance and education to counteract the cultural message of death that is constantly being thrust on the youth of today. About nine years ago, Kerri started volunteering and speaking for the Pregnancy Counseling Center of Mission Hills in CA to combat issues threatening the Sanctity of Life. "What a gift it has been to speak to people of all ages, but especially teenagers who are the hope of our future."
Luis Galdamez has dedicated his life to helping young people succeed in life by saving sex for marriage. Born in El Salvador, Luis came to the United States at age 14. Fluent in English and Spanish, Luis' "BOOOM!!!...HOW YOU DOIN??'" energetic style connects with youth regardless of their ethnic background. He is a versed and noted speaker on abstinence education in topics such as teen pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, why & how to wait for sex until marriage, and also in various issues such as race relations, race integration, youth development & leadership, and effective parent/youth communication. Luis uses his dramatic and exciting life story to dynamically illustrate the benefits of abstinence until marriage and of avoiding alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and violence.
While in college, Anna Kaczmarek found her passion for speaking to teens in the areas of spirituality and sexuality. Through this work she helped found a chastity outreach program for the DC, Maryland and Virginia Metropolitan areas which sends speakers into schools and churches to talk with teens about chastity. For the past three years she has taught classes on chastity related topics to college students to better inform them of their call to chastity and empower them to minister to teens in their communities. From this ministry sprung a college level peer chastity team that is flourishing on the Catholic University of America campus. Her ability to journey with teens at their level allows for deep, hilarious, and honest conversations about God's call to Chastity for each of us.
Daniel Mansueto is passionately involved in the pro-life movement and abstinence education. He has given talks to high school students and adults as well as authoring published articles concerning sex-selection abortion, Row v. Wade, and Proposition 85 (parental notification of minors seeking an abortion). He currently is the President of the Board of Directors of the East Los Angeles Pregnancy Center, a member of the Life Issues Commission of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the Respect Life Coordinator for Deanery 13 of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Daniel uses his experience as an attorney and fervor for chastity to relate to audiences of all ages.
Helen Rossi has been taking her program, "Chastity in the City," to junior high schools for eight years. Her background of twenty-six years postpartum nursing and fourteen years as a counselor in a pregnancy Counseling Center provides her with a myriad of examples and stories. She relies on these to prove the points of her presentation. Adjectives used by students to describe her approach are "straight-forward, truthful, personal, caring, and humorous." Her favorite quote from student evaluations is "at least you have saved one of us."
