What is Parenting: It's a Life?

Parenting: It’s a Life (PIAL) is a multi-component life skills program designed to introduce middle and high school youth and emerging adults to the emotional, social, and financial realities of parenting and provide resources to them before they reach parenthood.  

The youth curriculum (7th-12th grades) includes topics such as Healthy Relationships, Cost of Raising a Child, and Resiliency. This free resource is a valuable addition to family and consumer science, life skills, health, and guidance classes. However, we also present to any class or youth-serving organization.  

The PIAL project is a partnership between Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Service’s Child Support Services, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. 

Our Mission is to equip Iowa youth and emerging adults with life skills and introduce them to the emotional, social, and financial realities of being a parent by providing a free, relevant, and research-driven curriculum to schools and youthserving agencies across Iowa.

Our Vision is to empower Iowa youth and emerging adults to be good stewards of their decision-making responsibilities across their lifespan.

How can I learn more about the program?

Like our page on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, check out our videos on YouTube, and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter. Our team works hard to keep these platforms updated with new ideas for the classroom and what PIAL is doing throughout the school year. You can also contact PIAL Leadership at PIAL@iastate.edu. They can answer any further questions you may have about the program.

Does it cost?

The PIAL curriculum can be downloaded for FREE from our website. Our team will also come to your classroom for FREE and present any of our modules.

How long does each presentation take?

Each module lasts around 45-60 minutes. We are able to modify our modules for longer/shorter class periods. We will work with you to find the best modules for your time frame. For longer block classes, we can combine two modules to accommodate the longer class period.

What will it look like when PIAL comes to my classroom?

Before the PIAL team comes to your classroom, we will send out a three-minute pre-knowledge e-survey that the students will need to complete before the module is presented. On the day of the visit, the PIAL team will bring all the needed supplies. We will set up our materials before the class period begins. During the presentation, we aim to keep students engaged by using hands-on activities and by participating in discussions related to the module’s content. During the last five minutes of the presentation, students will complete another e-survey, which collects information about the students’ understanding after the module presentation.

Do all modules need to be presented? Is there a specific order they need to be presented?

We are currently only offering the Healthy Relationships module and working to update all other modules that we have previously offered. With that said, our modules are designed to be flexible and fit the needs of your curriculum and classroom. More updates are coming!

How do I schedule a visit?

Contact the PIAL Leadership Team at PIAL@iastate.edu. The team will send you a link to our PIAL Visit Request Questionnaire. This questionnaire will allow you to decide which module(s) you want us to present in your classroom, to let us know about your class, and to choose which day you would like us to come. After scheduling your visit, the PIAL Leadership Team will stay in contact with you to ensure you are prepared for the upcoming visit.

Can PIAL present more than one module per day?

We are currently only offering the Healthy Relationships module and working to update some modules we have previously offered. Our modules are designed to be flexible and fit the needs of your classroom and class schedule. As we reintroduce updated modules, we will be able to provide more than one module per day. Generally, we can combine two modules when schools have a block schedule. This allows us to pack the class period with valuable information for your students. Also, we can present to all your classes in one day.

How does PIAL keep students actively involved in the presentation? How does PIAL keep students actively involved in the presentation?

During our presentations, students frequently get out of their seats to explore the content we are teaching. Students participate in gallery walks, group discussions, reflection questionnaires, and so much more. We also provide discussion prompts that get students thinking about the topic and how they can apply it to their own lives. We routinely update our activities to ensure they are relevant and keep students engaged in the content.

I teach middle school; what modules do you suggest?

All the modules can be modified to fit the needs of your students. We are currently only offering the Healthy Relationships module-MS version which has been updated specifically for middle schoolers. More updates and modules are coming!

I teach high school; what modules do you suggest?

All the modules can be modified to fit the needs of your students. We are currently only offering the Healthy Relationships module-HS version which has been updated specifically for high schoolers. More updates and modules are coming!

Can I present the modules on my own?

Yes, you can download the facilitator guide, PowerPoint, and activity materials from our website for free! If you present the modules on your own, please contact us. We will send you an electronic survey for your students to complete. This helps us improve the program and see the impact PIAL is having on students.

How can I supplement the material PIAL presents?

We have supplementary activities for all our modules. You can find them on our website under Resources. This is a great way to continue the learning after PIAL presents in your classroom. We encourage teachers to use these activities before and after PIAL presents to expand on the module information.

What do I need to do to prepare for a PIAL visit?

There are many ways you can get students involved before PIAL presents in your classroom. Introduce the key vocabulary from the module to ensure they are ready for active participation during the module. Connect your current instruction to the module’s contents. We love it when the students can already make connections to our content. Have students relate the topic to their own life. Much of the content we offer is applicable to students. This helps students look forward to what we will be discussing.

Is there research to back up this curriculum?

Yes! We have a team of graduate students and staff who work hard in collaboration with faculty at Iowa State to provide research about the effectiveness of our curriculum. Research has shown that after each module is taught, there is growth in the students’ knowledge. You can learn more about the research on our website by clicking the Research and Program Evaluation button.

What other services does PIAL provide?

PIAL began offering a new teen dating violence awareness program in February 2022. Advocating for My Relationships (ADMYRE) includes a simulation where students walk through one of eight true short stories which is followed by a robust debrief where students are empowered to use resources and promote healthy relationships in their own lives. While this was created for middle school and high school youth, it is also suitable for the emerging adult community.

PIAL is developing an emerging adult curriculum (18-25 year-olds) which will cover some of the same topics as the youth-focused program and also concepts related to paternity, child support, and career readiness. We plan to present to programs geared toward pregnant and parenting young adults as well as community colleges and universities.  

We also present in college classrooms on campus. We discuss our teaching methodology including interactive ways to teach material and give future teachers the opportunity to learn more about Parenting: It’s a Life.

Creative Commons License The entire curriculum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. This license requires only that you attribute the original content to the Iowa State University Child Welfare Research and Training Project and share your creations in a similar manner.