In God's Image

In God’s Image (IGI)© is a fully scripted program designed to give youth leaders, mentors and service providers an easy to use tool to increase the physical, spiritual and mental fitness of young people.  Based on a proven model which targets naturally motivating wellness images of youth, In God’s Image enhances positive self-identity and goal setting skills resulting in positive development of adolescents. 

Each lesson of In God’s Image is written to integrate the promotion of spiritual health with physical and mental health enhancement.  The IGI Teacher’s Manual contains three lessons in both one-on-one and group formats, including:

  • Step-by-step implementation directions;
  • Brief self-administered youth fitness behavior screens;
  • Tailored individual and group lesson scripts;
  • Colorful slides to view during the lessons;
  • Goal plans & contracts for motivating multiple behavior change;
  • Implementer’s chart to assess the quality of each of their lessons;
  • Feedback form for participating youth to evaluate each lesson;
  • A behavior outcome evaluation survey; and
  • Downloadable reproducible program materials.

The three lessons address:

1) Physical Activity, 

2) Healthy Eating and Weight,

3) Spiritual and Mental Health, and

4) Avoiding Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Other Drug Use.   

The first lesson addresses physical fitness.  This session is designed to increase moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity, and muscle strengthening exercise.  The second lesson addresses healthy eating and weight.  This session is designed to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grain carbohydrates, and low fat dairy and protein foods, along with using calorie control strategies and eating regular healthy breakfasts. 

The last lesson addresses spiritual and mental health.  This session is designed to increase spiritual and mental health promoting behaviors, including taking time to pray, study scripture or meditate, practice key virtues like showing gratitude for what you’ve received from God and others, attend religious services, and reach out to help others in need.  In addition, each lesson targets the critical necessity to avoid harmful risk behaviors, particularly alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug use, which can interfere with achieving goals for a physically, spiritually and mentally healthier lifestyle.       

In God’s Image program lessons were designed to build upon each other.  They are best implemented in their entirety as a three-part program.  However, they may also be implemented as three individual programs.  All three IGI sessions may be implemented on a weekly or monthly schedule, depending upon your preference.  Each session takes about 30-60 minutes to implement.  In God’s Image was designed as a stand-alone program for youth, and may also be implemented in conjunction with other religious, education, health or fitness programs and activities for adolescents.    

Based on the Behavior-Image Model, In God’s Image is a positive youth development program involving:  

  1. Screening youth for their current physical, mental and spiritual fitness behaviors;
  2. Providing messages that cue naturally motivating positive images of youth engaged in physical, mental and spiritual health enhancing behaviors, and related desired images of themselves in the future;
  3. Teaching youth to link fitness enhancing habits with achieving positive behaviors and images, and health risk behaviors interfering with achievement of positive behaviors and images, and
  4. Developing youth skills to set and monitor multiple goals to increase physical, mental and spiritual fitness enhancing behaviors and positive self-identity, while avoiding health damaging behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug use.

In God’s Image was created to help young people grow in grace and power to do the sometimes challenging things in life.  Those things which will result in developing into our best possible selves as God planned for us.  We are confident you and your adolescents will find this one-of-a-kind program created to improve the “whole health” of youth an enjoyable and rewarding experience. 

Online and Onsite Certified Program Implementer's Workshops are available.  Onsite Training of Trainer's (TOTs) Workshops are also available.  Learn more about how you can host a PPW Training Workshop:  

https://preventionpluswellness.com/pages/host-a-program-training-workshop