Trust Talk: Teen to Teen
Teen Brain Science, Secure Gun Storage, and Responsible Decision Making
This set of free lesson plans guides teachers, school professionals, and community groups to teach kids the skills needed to navigate their childhood and teenage years… safe and sound
In today’s world, teens face decisions that carry real consequences. Trust Talk: Teen to Teen gives them the tools to make the right calls in tough situations.
They learn how their brains shape their choices, why safety laws, like secure gun storage, protect lives, and how to stay calm, think clearly, and support friends in real-life situations.
Real Talk for Real Life
Teens learn from peers through videos and role-plays, exploring relatable situations that empower them to make safer, more thoughtful choices.
Backed by Research, Built for Impact
Based on current adolescent brain science and SEL research, the lessons are thoughtfully designed to support students' cognitive and emotional development.
Zero Prep, Fully Ready
With everything laid out for you, there’s nothing extra to plan. You can focus on facilitating connection and conversation, not lesson planning.
What’s Included
Through videos, interactive discussions, role-plays, and guided reflection, students gain the tools to make thoughtful choices and support one another. Each lesson is trauma-aware and developmentally appropriate, designed to make sensitive conversations safe and meaningful.
Realistic scenarios in the lessons provide opportunities to practice decision-making and problem-solving in a supportive environment.
Grounded in current research, this program strengthens social-emotional skills while promoting safer, more connected school communities.
The lesson plans contain low stakes, high impact activities to stimulate self-awareness, social awareness, psychological safety, productive group work, and relationship skills.
Separate versions are available for both middle and high school students.
This series is available at no cost!
Student Benefits
The lessons are designed for students to learn and practice skills that could save their own life or someone else’s life. By doing this work, they will:
Understand how their brain affects decisions
Learn to regulate emotions under stress
Build empathy and peer support skills
Discover the importance of secure gun storage
Have a plan in place to respond prosocially in a crisis
Hear directly from teens in engaging videos
Facilitators guide, listen, and allow learning to emerge naturally.
The lessons create a more respectful and emotionally safe environment where students listen to one another and take more responsibility for their actions. As students build empathy and communication skills, classroom tension decreases and collaboration increases. The overall climate becomes calmer, more connected, and easier to manage.
This Work Transforms the Classroom
Everything is fully prepped and ready to go, so there’s nothing extra for you to create or plan. Each lesson builds on the last, guiding students through a structured, step-by-step process that supports lasting growth. The content is practical, non-political, and focused on real safety and social-emotional learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click the questions below to reveal the answer.
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This is a series of lessons and activities that give students practical tools for making safer choices, managing emotions, and holding each other accountable.
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This series is great for teachers, educators, and any professionals who work directly with middle school and high school students.
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There are two versions of this series: one geared towards middle school students and one geared towards high school students.
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Each lesson is designed to fit within a 45–60 minute class period, with flexibility to expand or condense as needed.
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The lessons are delivered in both PDF and video format. An internet connection is required to watch the videos.
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No. While there is a portion that includes discussion of secure gun storage laws in various states, it does so from the perspective of safety and awareness, not politics. The goal is to help teens understand how secure gun storage prevents harm, not to debate gun rights or legislation.
Kids deserve to be happy, healthy, and secure wherever they are in the world.
If your school or district is interested in learning more about using this guide, fill out the form below or contact Robin Fox at robin@social-eyes.org
Support This Series
Here are some ways to help get this life-saving work in front of more students:
Share with school personnel, administration, and related organizations (e.g. PTA, after school programs, etc.)
Implement in your classroom, school, or district
Make a financial contribution to the Ethan Miller Song Foundation (when donating, leave a note that says “To Support Trust Talk”.)
Get in touch with lead author, Robin Fox M.Ed. at robin@social-eyes.org