Choices, Decisions, Outcomes (CDO)
Choices Decisions Outcomes is an Australian healthy relationships program which meets ACARA standards and supports Catholic values. It is delivered by the Archdiocesan Marriage Family Relationships team as a single 90-minute session in each of the first four year levels of secondary school. CDO has as its main focus the development of healthy relationship skills and decision-making strategies. Age-appropriate, small group activities are led by trained facilitators, encouraging young people to listen to each other’s ideas and concerns and to consider the consequences of their own relationship decision-making. A strong emphasis is given to seeking out the support of trusted adults when faced with challenging relationship issues or decisions.
The Year 7 program focusses on the uniqueness and dignity of each individual and the awesome potential to enhance one’s own life by building healthy friendships and relationships. A brief recap on fertility and reproduction from puberty lessons gives the students an opportunity to ask questions and clarify information in small groups. From there we spend time exploring the qualities of friendship, emphasising the importance of valuing yourself and others and of finding friends who will support your values. Noting that a future potential life partner also needs to be a good friend we look towards making good relationship choices in the future. The Friendship Doll craft activity provides a fun, concrete reinforcement of the qualities of a good friend.
The Year 8 program re-focusses on the uniqueness and dignity of each individual using the Individuality Box craft activity to encourage students to affirm each other’s gifts and character as well as their own. We then explore the awesome capacity each person has to create loving, respectful connections with others and discuss the fundamental role that sexuality plays in this important aspect of human existence. A comic book role play and small group activities help to draw out what young people might be looking for in a romantic relationship and lead to a discussion about appropriate and inappropriate contexts for the expression of sexual intimacy.
The Year 9 CDO program begins with a short film about two Year 12 students, Ellie and Ryan who, despite initially agreeing not to be sexually active, eventually find themselves dealing with an unintended pregnancy. Students are encouraged to examine the pressures and circumstances which lead Ellie and Ryan to become sexually involved. In small groups we work through a How to Say ‘No’ role-play and work together on a model for good decision making. This program helps to prepare and equip students to deal with the strong feelings and pressures that can lead to situations they had not intended for themselves.
The Year 10 program begins with a narrated cartoon presentation about Sue & John, a young couple who become sexually involved and experience an unplanned pregnancy. In small groups students are encouraged to look at how Sue & John’s relationship unfolded and to consider how they would like their own ‘story’ to be similar or different. The True Love Puzzle activity encourages students to identify the many aspects, besides sexual intimacy, that need to built into a healthy relationship. Students are challenged to think of concrete ways to develop the non-sexual aspects of an exclusive relationship.
For more information and to secure a booking for 2021 please contact the Relationships Education Program Coordinator: lara.kirk@cg.org.au M: 0429 192 869