Free To Be, a  Santa Rosa-based sex education program, is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union for violating California's ban on abstinence-only teaching in public schools.

 Although we were not able to reach a Free To Be representative to be interviewed for this report, their website describes a program that "motivates and equips youth to live an abstinent life-style, encouraging healthy choices for a healthy future." They explain their educational approach in greater detail here.

Prior to 2004, explains Phyllida Burlingame, Sex Education Policy Director for the ACLU of Northern California, the state's rules governing how and what schools could teach as Sex Education were a confusing jumble. That's one reason her organization helped update the California Education Code to the standard that is in place today.

 One significant difference between the current federal policy, a lingering holdover from the Bush administration, is that while the federal law supporting abstinence-only sex education programs explicitly prohibits favorable treatment of other forms of pregnancy prevention, California's law also requires that abstinence be taught, but as part of a broader array of possible options.

Below is a list, compiled by the ACLU, of Sonoma County Public Schools that have used Free To Be. They have been asked to confirm, before the end of this month, that they will not continue to use the program in the coming school year.

A wealth of local history is buried at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, along with many other stories that may never be told.

Although it is surrounded by the city now, the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery was at the edge of town when it was established in the early 1850s. But  volunteer and docent Brett Gripe says that's not why it's called the "rural" cemetery.

 Read a brief history of the cemetery here.

From the war in Iraq back as far as the War of 1812, veterans from every major military conflict can be found in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. Brett Gripe explains why they are so well represented.

There are numerous ongoing volunteer opportunities, and a regular series of public events are staged at the cemetery throughout the year.

It worked in Napa. Now a youth-led service center for young people aging out of foster care has launched a second outlet in Santa Rosa.

Mitch Findley helps move office furniture into the new V.O.I.C.E.S. office in Santa Rosa.

Only recently have the needs of youth aging out of Foster Care gotten much public attention. But the high rates of homelessness, unemployment and early parenthood create additional demand on public social service systems that are already overburdened. So proactive alternatives such as V.O.I.C.E.S. are garnering widespread attention.

When V.O.I.C.E.S first opened their doors in Napa, Mitch Findley (left)  says they had to learn how to define and explain themselves to the community around them. By now, they've gotten pretty good at it.

Learn more about Voices here.

V.O.I.C.E.S. Sonoma County 

335 College Ave

Santa Rosa, CA 94509 

Phone: 707-579-4327

KRCB's North Bay Report has won an Excellence in Media award from the California Teachers Association, for a report last April on peer-driven non-violence training for junior high school students. Today we reprise that award-winning report.

Rick Phillips (left) is the creator and leading advocate for the Safe School Ambassadors program, which is a project of the Sebastopol-based non-profit, Community Matters.

This story, which originally aired last April, has been honored with a 2009 John Swett Award for Excellence in Media by the California Teachers Association.