G.R.A.D.S.

Imagine what it would be like to be pregnant at age 16. How would your life change? One day you're a kid, and the next you have to start thinking about raising a child. Make no mistake, this is a very serious situation, but the good news is that there are high school programs out there that can help teenagers make the transition to becoming a parent.

Did you know that one out of every five teenage girls will become pregnant? Hawaii has the 12th highest teenage pregnancy rate in the United States, in a country with one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates in the entire industrialized world. In Hawaii, the teenage pregnancy rate has been on the decline, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

Public schools in Hawaii offers a program called Graduation Reality and Dual Role Skills (commonly referred to as GRADS). This high school program is designed to help pregnant mothers combat the many emotional and life-changing hurdles that come along with becoming a parent.

The main goal of the GRADS program is to get these young mothers to graduate from high school and to prepare them for a prosperous life after graduation. Classes focus on positive self-development, along with health and wellness.

Usually, it's just the mothers who join the program, but on rare occasions, the boyfriends join, too. Fathers are encouraged to join because this can make it much easier on the relationship.

Pregnant mothers are not required to join; yet most do. Students receive credits for taking the class, and they have a great support behind them through every step of pregnancy. 

Not only does the program provide support for these teenage mothers, it offers a number of resources. Guest speakers come and lecture on a wide range of services available, helping these mothers plan out how they will eventually support their new family.

In Hawaii, the teen birth rate has been declining since its peak in 1990, thanks to high school outreach programs and greater awareness among teenagers. The federal government has provided financing for hundreds of abstinence-only programs across the country, with the provision that these programs don't teach students safe sex practices.