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BrainAbouts: Empowering Positive Choices & Developing Healthy Brains

The part of our brain that regulates behaviors isn’t fully developed until around 25. This means young people need help understanding the consequences of engaging in high-risk behaviors and need to be taught the skills to make positive—and potentially lifesaving—choices.

JFJC’s signature program, BrainAbouts, is a neuroscience-based prevention program that provides schools with a toolbox to empower young people to make better decisions and develop healthy brains. BrainAbouts is designed to be a turnkey tool for counselors, a go-to resource for parents, an activity generator for students, a pre-integrated curriculum for teachers, and a statistics tracker for school administrators.

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The Goal

We’re aiming big! Our goal is to help every student in America avoid high-risk behaviors and learn the skills to make safer choices throughout their lives. BrainAbouts’ evidence-based online platform, combined with consistent and comprehensive programming in schools and at home, has the power to influence millions of young people and the adults in their lives over the next decade.

BrainAbouts High-Risk Behaviors

BrainAbouts focuses on 18 high-risk behaviors that youth struggle with today and targets specific social and emotional skills that students need to resist them.

Binge Drinking

The majority of students in high school that have tried alcohol choose not to engage in binge drinking. However, 61% of youth who drink underage admit to binge drinking.

Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues

By age six, children (especially girls) begin to feel worried about their body weight and shape. Research indicates the more time youth spend on social media, the more their negative feelings about their body increase.

E-Cigarettes & Vaping

Evali is a respiratory illness caused by vaping nicotine and/or marijuana e-liquid resulting in cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, congestion, nausea, increased heart rate, and death.

Pornography

Pornography rewires the brain by increasing dopamine levels higher than natural rewards. 10% of internet searches by children under 13 are for pornography.

Technology Overuse & Addiction

Exposure to screens too young and overexposure to screens has been linked to attachment issues, obesity, sleep problems, cognitive deficits and many other adverse health effects. 35% of students admitted to using a cell phone to cheat.

Suicide

Although, it’s common for teens to have fleeting thoughts about suicide, when paired with depression, negative life events, or other risk factors, suicidal ideation become an indicator for suicidal attempts. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for adolescents.

See the full list of high-risk behaviors, skills, and topics covered in the BrainAbouts program. Read More

BrainAbouts in Action

The best time to educate young people about high-risk behaviors, like alcohol and drug use, is now–before they are ever in a situation to make a choice. Backed by neuroscience and powered by the John Fontaine, Jr. Charity, BrainAbouts helps students, caregivers, and school faculty learn about and openly address these difficult topics as a team.

Reach out to learn more about BrainAbouts!

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