ONE NIGHT Banquet

What: ONE NIGHT Changes Everything, a banquet for Reality Check Inc. All donations at the event will go to fund Reality Check Inc. programming for the 2010-2011 school year.

When: Thursday, April 01, 2010

Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Where: John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. Across from the Embassy Suites.

Why:

Reality Check Inc. is a Community based Non-Profit, 501 C 3, organization established in 2003 to address youth risk behaviors and family connectedness through prevention and intervention programming. Reality Check Inc. serves ten counties in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. RCI has presented program in four states and five countries. (China, India, Mexico, Guatemala, and Argentina.)

Our passion and mission is to provide positive teen and family development by equipping teens and families with accurate information to help restore value to every aspect of their lives; physically, emotionally, sexually, and educationally. This is accomplished by helping them understand their own personal value and potential.

RCI teaches character skills necessary to guide individuals in making positive life choices in all areas of life and foster an enviroment of support for strengthening for families within our society. RCI is a licensed, Assured Professional Development provider for Content, Teaching Strategies, Parent Involvement, and Classroom Technology.

During the 2008-2009 school year we served 13,672 students, teachers, and parents with various programs and seminars. These are not just empty numbers, but personal and touched lives. We are seeing a positive shift as students are using the skills and knowledge learned to make measurable reductions in risk behaviors.

For the past two years Reality Check Inc. has had the privilege of a federal CBAE grant that funds our operations. As of October 2010 federal funding will expire. This is not in regard to the quality of our programming as we were exceeding all goals and expectations, rather the result in differences of philosophies by the current administration. At the onset of the grant, we launched a 5-year sustainablilty plan. However, the funding will expire much sooner than we had anticipated, leaving us two years short of reaching our program sustainability goal.

STATISTICS

· 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 14-19 have an STD (sexually transmitted disease).

· For every 1 girl who gets pregnant, 5 will get an STD.

· 50% of sexually active people have HPV.

· Although teens represent only 25% of the sexually active U.S. population, they account for nearly 50% of all new cases of STDs.

· According to our yearly evaluation by the Institute for Research and Evaluation, Reality Check Inc. has moved 66% of students into what is referred to as the “safety zone” and holding them there year to year. 100% of students are being moved towards the “safety zone”. This means we are highly effective in moving at-risk behaviors in a positive direction.

*For more statistics visit www.realitycheckinc.org or www.cdc.org.

VOICE OF THE STUDENTS

At the end of all our programs we give the students a blank index card and simply ask them to write down “how this class impacted their life.” Here are just a SMALL taste of recent student comments from area schools:

“This class profoundly impacted my life and the way I look at the world altogether. My mom was pregnant with me when she was 17 and was forced to drop out of high school to raise me. We never had much money, nice clothes, or even a decent house for more than a couple of months. Now (after attending this course) I realize everything she went through and how that affected me and my siblings. I understand now and am committed to not making my kids go through what I did, and not put any girl in the situation my mom was in. Thank you so much for everything.” – Rogers High School

“You, because I can tell you care, made me want to care. You’ve drastically changed my views on a lot of things. You have made me want to start making a lot of better decisions in my life. Thank you.” – Bentonville High School

“Your class impacted me so much. I came into this class not knowing who I am or what I want. I am walking away with an idea of who I am, what I will become & how to get there. Thank you so very much.” – Elmwood Middle School

“I have really been struggling with school and having problems at my house, and you have inspired me to better myself. I will not lock on the negative thoughts anymore, and I will stride to do my best. Thank you so very much you are a great person, and I have really enjoyed your company.” – Kirksey Middle School

“I learned that there are adults out there that do believe I can make good choices and think for myself. I don’t think its fair that lots of teens, including myself, can make those good decisions yet people group all teens together saying we won’t listen and can’t control ourselves.” – Oakdale Middle School

Interested in a specific schools student comments? Log on to www.realitycheckinc.org to read them ALL.