FAQ
What is Omaha Teen Council?
Teen Council is a voluntary, intensive, year-long program comprised of 8-12 local high school students. Members are recruited from former and current teen council members, and come to the group with different beliefs and viewpoints. The group meets weekly and learns a variety of topics related to sexual health from Planned Parenthood educators. Some of the topics include consent, pregnancy options, anatomy & physiology, STIs, advocacy, and more. Teen Council members are also trained to give formal and informal education to their peers in classroom and community settings. Teen Council values peer-to-peer education above all other types of education because we know young people learn best from others of their similar age and experience, and helps to maintain a safe and judgement-free learning environment.
What kind of presentations does Teen Council provide?
Currently, the Omaha Teen Council can provide formal presentations in: Gender & Sexuality, Healthy Dating, and Birth Control. Check back later to see what other presentations we can give! We can also provide informal question and answer sessions with any of our Teen Council member or a Planned Parenthood educator! You can find our presentation request by clicking on Contact from the navigation.
Who can join Teen Council?
Any young person in grades 10, 11, or 12 in the Omaha area are able to apply to become a member of the Omaha Teen Council! Other cities also have Teen Councils, so if you’re not in Omaha, you can find more groups here! Applications are accepted year round, while interviews are held in the spring, usually in April. Our Teen Council year currently runs from August to May.
What is the time commitment for joining Teen Council?
The Omaha Teen Council meets every Monday evening from 5:30pm-8:00pm. We also have all-day trainings occasionally. At the beginning of the year, we have a 3-day, 2-night retreat. We also participate in presentations and other events throughout the year.
What kind of topics does Teen Council learn about?
Teen Council learns many topics related to sexual and reproductive health! Some of those topics are: anatomy & physiology, consent, healthy dating, intimate partner violence, gender & sexuality, gender roles, communication styles, pregnancy options, STIs & HIV/AIDS, radical self-love, pleasure, local resources, and lots of topics that the group chooses!
Why Teen Council?
Peer education is proven to be one of the most power forms of education for young people. Research shows that teens and young adults retain more information when receiving it from their peers than older adults. Because of this, younger people who interact with peer educators tend to have better health outcomes than those who do not.
Teen Council members are also taught important leadership and advocacy skills they use for the rest of their lives. In addition to teaching sexual health topics, they also learn public speaking, effective communication, active listening, meeting management, and time management skills.