Interested in volunteering to teach Abstinence?
Call Sally Geib - 615-867-3900
Quote of the Month
“I loved this class and I thought about having sex before marriage, but you inspired me!”
Rutherford County Middle
School student
Rutherford County Middle
School student
Special Events
About AΣITIA
The mission of Asitia is to help youth and young adults come to the conclusion, on their own, that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the best choice for their lives, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Purpose
History
Programs
& Services
Staff
Purpose
The purpose of Asitia:
To encourage youth in building healthy relationships based on the principles of trust, commitment and faithfulness.
To teach young people that choices made today impact their future, and to instruct them in making healthy choices.
To teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the standard, the expected and the normal behavior at the community level (government, schools and churches), the peer level and the parental level.
The Rutherford Abstinence Program (Asitia)
began in 1998 as an outreach program of the Pregnancy Support Center
in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. After years of counseling young women
experiencing the pain and heartache of unplanned pregnancies, former
Executive Director, Vickie Edwards issued a challenge to Rutherford
County to provide abstinence education in the schools and churches
in our community. The challenge was accepted by a small group of
committed individuals, and The Rutherford Abstinence Program (Asitia)
is currently providing abstinence education to over 11,000 students
in 27 schools yearly. Approximately 70 percent of the students who
receive the Asitia program make personal commitments to abstain from
sexual activity until marriage.
The
Rutherford Abstinence Program hosted the National Abstinence
Clearinghouse Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee and the
Community Resources for Empowering Youth Health Fairs in Rutherford
County in 2004 and continues to host it.
Asitia Abstinence Education Program for
Public Schools
A five-day fact-based abstinence education program presented
live to students in sixth grade through high school, using the
Why kNOw? curriculum.
Asitia Abstinence Education Program for
Churches
A four-unit, twelve lesson, abstinence education program
presented live to students in church youth groups, Bible study
groups and Sunday School classes, using the Why kNOw Church
Curriculum.
Parent-To-Parent Education Program
A program for parents of adolescents and teens designed to help
parents talk to their children about sex and abstinence.
Click here for more information for
Parents.
High School Health Fairs
One-day presentations focusing on teen risk behaviors determined
by the Tennessee Risk Behavior Survey – Physical Activity, Alcohol
and Drug Use, Nutrition, Tobacco Use, and Sexual Activity.
In-Service Training and Seminars
Presentations of up-to-date information regarding sexuality
issues.
Staff
The Asitia Program is staffed by
volunteer abstinence educators, administrative volunteers and the Abstinence
Program Director. Volunteer abstinence educators must complete 24
hours of training
prior to teaching for the Asitia Program.