ThinkSmart Abstinence Education started in 1999 as a community-based, state funded program designed to educate the youth of Central Florida about the three primary benefits of abstaining from sexual activities until marriage.

Our Students:
ThinkSmart’s curriculum is especially designed for students ranging from 6th to 12th grade and is intentionally adapted so as to achieve grade-level appropriacy.

Our Program:
ThinkSmart teaches two programs: Promoting Health Among Teens and Baby Think It Over.

Promoting Health Among Teensis an evidence-based abstinence curriculum developed by Select Media. The developers reasoned that when teaching adolescents strategies to practice abstinence as a means to reduce their risk for HIV, STDs and pregnancy, it is necessary to not only give them correct information, but also build their perception of vulnerability, bolster positive attitudes and outcome expectancies, while building self-efficacy and skills to negotiate and practice abstinence.

Baby Think It Over uses a life-sized and computerized infant simulator (Baby), invented by Mary and Rick Jurmain in 1994, to give youth a hands-on opportunity to understand a real baby’s need for attention and care.

The project involves an infant simulator (Baby) that will cry randomly day and night. Over a 24 hour period the Baby will cry from five to fifteen times. Each time the Baby cries, the student must insert a care key into the baby's computer (located in the baby's back) to simulate tending (feeding, changing diapers, etc.). The tending time may vary, but will total about two hours each 24 hour period. An internal computer keeps track of any lack of care or abuse.  It records any abuse—which includes rough handling, dropping or hitting. After one of those episodes the baby will cry for a period of time and cannot be stopped.  It records the number of minutes the Baby was not tended after it began to cry. It shuts down if the computer is removed from the Baby for more than five minutes. The Baby it records the number of times the head was not properly supported.

Students wear a care key on a non-removable bracelet. No one else can care for the baby. When the Baby is returned, the computer is opened (it has a lock) and the care or lack of care will be available see.

ThinkSmart Florida's Health Education program covers:

• Consequences of Sex Before Marriage
• Teen Pregnancy
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Building Healthy Relationships
• Setting Goals

• Schools
• Community Centers
• Youth Groups
• After-School Programs
• Parent Workshops
• Church Functions
• Guest Speaking

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