The skills students need to be contributing members of society, successful employees, and nurturing family members mirror the skills that they need to maintain and improve their health. The Michigan Model for Health™ program is a recommended CASEL Promising Program evidence-based curriculum that addresses the five core social emotional learning competencies including: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.  Lessons in the Safe and Sound for Life: Social and Emotional Health and Safety curriculum teach middle school students to learn ways to cooperate and respect one another and to build skills that develop healthy, life-long habits related to social and emotional health and safety. Health topics include:

• Self-Awareness and Self-Respect
• Stress Management
• Anger Management
• Communication Skills (Listening, I-Statements, Empathy and Refusal)
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Conflict Resolution
• Violence Prevention, Including Bullying
• Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
• Getting and Giving Help

Healthy eating and physical activity affects a student's health, growth, intellectual development, and how he or she looks and feels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that poor eating habits and physical inactivity are responsible for the majority of diseases that result in early death for adults. The lessons in the Michigan Model for Health™ A Winning Team: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity curriculum help middle students know how to choose foods wisely and save time for physical activity. Health topics include:

• Health benefits of eating healthy foods and daily physical activity
• Guidelines to set goals for a healthy diet and physical activity
• How body image can impact a person’s eating and activity habits
• Locating and assessing resources on nutrition and physical activity
• Analyzing restaurant menu items, including fast food
• Persuading others to eat healthy foods and be physically active 
• Refusing to be pressured into choosing foods and activities that will not yield health benefits

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that alcohol and other drug use among our nation’s youth remains a major public health problem. The earlier teens start using substances, the greater their chances of continuing to use substances and developing substance use problems later in life. The lessons in the Michigan Model for Health™ Stay Drug Free Today for a Successful Tomorrow curriculum provide middle school students with critical health information and opportunities to build health skills that will develop life-long healthy decisions related to alcohol and other drugs. Health topics include:

• Internal and External Influences on Teenage Drug Use
• Impact of Drug Use on the User and Others (Alcohol, Over-the-Counter Drugs and Prescription Drugs including Opioids, Marijuana, Sports Supplements, and Steroids)
• Skills to Protect One-Self and Influence Others to be Drug Free (I-Statements, Refusal and Decision Making)
• Identify Risky Situations
• Getting and Giving Help
• Advocate for Changes to Encourage Staying Drug Free

Smoking cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, hookah smoking and vaping e-cigarettes are all dangerous to teens health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that if cigarette smoking continues at the current rate in the United States, 5.6 million of today’s youth will die prematurely from a smoking-related illness. The lessons in Michigan Model for Health™ The Power Is Yours To Be Tobacco Free curriculum provide middle school students accurate information about the impacts of tobacco use and vaping on their health and teaches important skills to protect themselves and others from tobacco and nicotine addiction. Health topics include:

• Impacts of tobacco use, vaping and second-hand smoke exposure 
• What influences a person to use or refrain from using tobacco and vaping
• Skills to protect oneself from risky situations related to tobacco and vaping
• Skills to help others stay tobacco and vaping free
• Where to find information and resources

An unintended pregnancy or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, can alter the course of a young person’s life, or even shorten it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that half of all new STDs reported each year are among young people 15 to 24.  The lessons in Michigan Model for Health™ Growing Up and Staying Healthy: Understanding HIV and Other STIs curriculum teaches middle school students the knowledge and skills they need to avoid sexual behaviors that can damage their health and prevent them from reaching their full potential. Health topics include:

• Facts about sexually transmitted infections and ways to prevent them
• Behaviors that have no risk of transmitting infections and those that are risky
• Possible legal, financial, health, social, and emotional consequences of sexual activity
• Skills to communicate with family members and other trusted adults about sexual decisions and potential consequences
• Skills to set personal limits and communicate them to peers
• Skills to identify risky sexual situations and avoid or escape them
• The benefits and skills for remaining abstinence
• Methods for reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy (abstinence-based option)
• Locating and assessing reliable sources of information
• Goal-setting and advocacy skills