National Abstinence Education Project
Abstinence Education To Build Healthy Families
Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America (OICA) has formed the National OIC Abstinence Until Marriage Coalition. The Philadelphia-based Coalition joins the expertise of a nationally recognized abstinence-until-marriage program with OIC affiliates who are committed to promoting abstinence until marriage within their communities. The Coalition was formed with the objective of providing a consistent message of abstinence until marriage, and that abstinence is a choice.
Program Goals
The goals of the program are:
  • Reduce the number of adolescents engaging in premarital sexual activity
  • Reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies among adolescents
  • Reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted infections, thereby improving the health of youth in Philadelphia and in affiliate communities
Services Provided By the Abstinence Program
Books, pamphlets, brochures, posters, CDs, videos, DVDs and other materials related to relationships, marriage, AODA, violence prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, goal setting, self-esteem and decision making.
Educators to deliver group presentations to youth, parents, professionals and the community. Some topics include: healthy and unhealthy relationships, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, sex and the media, self-esteem and self-concept, values and goals, decision making, communication and adolescent development.
School based abstinence education services for youth ages 12-18.
Parental support programs
Special community awareness projects to increase visibility of the message and the program.
Reaching Our Goals
To reach the program goals, OICA provides abstinence education to middle and high school students in choice, private, charter and alternative schools, community agencies and secure juvenile detention centers. OICA has also partnered with Philadelphia Public Schools to establish abstinence clubs in local high schools. In addition to youth education, OICA delivers parent education and family events to support and encourage parents to discuss abstinence with their child/children.
Program Locations
As the lead organization of a ten city abstinence campaign, OICA provides services and resources in Philadelphia and affiliates in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Montgomery, AL; Omaha, NE; Phoenix, AZ; Rocky Mount and Wilson, NC; Yakima, WA; and Milwaukee, WI.