Six Months and Counting...

So, next Tuesday marks my six month milestone with the SC Campaign. And those months have flown by. It’s been a busy time at the SC Campaign. Our 20th Anniversary Gala, followed quickly by Summer Institute, sprinkled in with Contraceptive Counseling, ICE, Seventeen Days, Reproductive Coercion, Leadership, Be Protective, Social Media and youth, training trips to San Antonio and Knoxville…WOW!! Busy is an understatement. And the fall looks even busier! I’m still learning about CEUs, nursing CEUs, MAPPS hours and all of the different processes we go through to get these approved. I’m so very thankful to all of our partners for their patience as I learn and adjust. And I’m especially thankful for Markessce Craft and Sara Lamberson for helping with all of the logistics.

We are excited about several new trainings we are offering this fall:

• Contraceptive Counseling Approaches for Adolescents (we have three sessions available!)
• Becoming an “Ask”able Adult
• Safer Sex Intervention (event page coming soon!)

Along with some great standards:

• Making a Difference/Making Proud Choices
• Safer Choices
• Reproductive Health 101 

Check out our events page on our website for more information about all of our workshops, and keep checking as we are adding more to our calendar daily.

by Shannon Lindsay, Training Coordinator, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

It's National Health Center Week!

It’s National Health Center Week – a time to celebrate those who work in health centers across the country, but specifically, I want to thank all of the hardworking individuals who give their time and effort in the health centers within our state. Here is a description of what this week is all about from the event’s website:

“Each year the second week in August is dedicated to celebrating the services and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers. While there are countless reasons to celebrate America’s Health Centers, among the most important and unique is their long success in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people throughout the United States.”

Health centers play an important role in the work of the SC Campaign. Every day, our youth are exposed to messages about love, sex and relationships. Healthcare providers are in a unique position to offer accurate, timely information in a confidential setting. In addition, teens value the time spent with them and the unique counsel that is offered. So this week, give a shout out to someone via social media who works at a health center, send a fruit basket to a health center near you, or simply say THANK YOU to the men and women who work day in and day out to provide important services not just to young people, but to all citizens in South Carolina who need their help.

If you work for a health center, those is charge of the National Health Center Week want to hear from you. Share your stories, photos or videos on what makes your health center special. For more information, visit www.healthcenterweek.com.

by Cayci Banks, Senior Advisor for Communications, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

It Takes a Village

It takes a whole village to raise a child, but...

it begins with a connection.  This week marked the release of the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored 2014 Kids Count Data Book, highlighting state-by-state progress, or lack thereof, around issues affecting children like education, health, poverty and safety. Thanks to our friends and colleagues at the Children's Trust of South Carolina, the agency responsible for South Carolina's data release, we are able to consider the well-being of children on a state and county level. South Carolina ranks 45th in the country for overall child well-being, which reflects very little progress in a positive direction. More than a quarter of a million children live in poverty, which contributes to the state's overall stagnation around health, education and the economy. The foundation is weak and even when we consider "bright spots" like teen birth rates (which have fallen by 47% over the past two decades), we realize just how fragile progress remains. 

The fragility of progress, and our often short attention spans, places unique responsibility on all of us - from youth-serving professionals and advocates to parents, faith leaders and government officials. I truly believe that most people care about children and their families, especially those who are in poverty, sick or marginalized in some other capacity. So, if most people care, then why do we continue to see such negative social and economic outcomes? Well, of course the answer is complicated, but I strongly believe the answer at least begins with our ability to genuinely engage and connect with each other.

Staff members from the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy were able to join the Children's Trust of South Carolina during a couple of media activities this past week and, as I am sure happens every year, the media wanted to know "now what?"  We continue to have these data releases -notably, in the near future, the SC Campaign will work with state partners to produce data specific to teen births and the connection to other social issues. But, how will we use this data to inform effective strategies, to collaborate (like the Children's Trust of SC and the SC Campaign) and to CONNECT with the community at large?  How will we remind each other that we are ALL connected and impacted when a child grows up in poverty, when a child is consistently behind academically, when a young person becomes a parent, or when a family goes without healthcare? We should also consider the connections and overlaps between these issues so that strategies for improvement are comprehensive and reflect all of the factors that contribute to poverty, educational attainment, and health, etc.

Of course we cannot provide all of the answers with one data release or via a blog. But we can engage each other through community forums, volunteer efforts, mentoring and individual support for causes that effectively reach the homeless, the working poor, young parents, and so many others who often just need a stronger foundation from which to progress. 

Let's be that village we so often reference in our speeches and conference themes. Let's also remember this great African proverb is only a cliché if we fail to make the connections necessary to genuinely affect change.
++++
*It takes a whole village to raise a child - Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria) Proverb

by Kimberly Wicker, Communications Manager, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Giving teens some space

It’s no secret that the Hartsville Boys and Girls club does great work, but the Teen Center needed a serious face lift. So when the Midlands class of the spring 2014 Diversity Leadership Institute was choosing a project to work on in Hartsville, S.C., the Boys and Girls club seemed like an obvious choice.

“We had three people in our group from the Darlington/Hartsville community and another who grew up there,” said Doug Taylor, Chief Program Officer at the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and a member of the Midlands class. “It was a known need in the community that the Boys and Girls Club building was not in good shape.”

Over the past three months the group has spent time transforming the drab brown and white Teen Center into the ultimate teen hangout. The space is now an inviting bright blue, with new couches, a TV, and even study stations for the teens to comfortably do their homework. The teens will get their first peek at their new space on Thursday, when the teen center will hold its grand reopening.

But the Boys and Girls Club is about more than just giving teens a place to be. It’s about preparing our young people to be leaders in their community.

“Programs like this are so important because kids need access to caring adults when parents or guardians are at work,” Taylor said. “They need to be engaged and not just sitting around wasting time.”

That’s why Taylor’s group also made sure the Boys and Girls club staff had the resources they need to educate the teens on important life skills.

For Taylor, that meant working with the staff this summer to implement a teen pregnancy prevention curriculum, Making Proud Choices. The curriculum emphasizes safer sex by teaching teens about abstinence, condoms, communicating with their partner, and strategies to delay initiating sex.

The Boys and Girls Club staff will be able to sustain the program long after Taylor’s group has graduated, thanks to continued training from the SC Campaign and funds from the Department of Health and Environmental Control's Personal Responsibility and Education Program.

Taylor is confident the project can be sustained, thanks to the passion he found in the community.

“The best part was getting to meet and work with individuals who are committed to making their community better and who can follow through,” Taylor said. “It wasn’t ‘why don’t we try this, why don’t we try that’ they’re out there making it happen.”

by Kylee Perez, Communications Specialist, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Farewell to the SC Campaign!

Two years ago, I embarked on a journey to enhance my understanding of pregnancy prevention. I was approaching my graduation from my doctoral program at the Arnold School of Public Health at University of South Carolina and this amazing postdoctoral fellowship position presented itself at the SC Campaign. I had not worked directly in teen pregnancy prevention before, but had extensive experience in HIV prevention. After researching the SC Campaign, I knew that this position would be an ideal next step for my academic and professional career.

In June 2012, I officially became a part of the SC Campaign staff and managed the two-year collective impact project funded by The Duke Endowment. At first, I thought this position would be similar to an internship, little did I know that I was going to be responsible for coordinating schedules, creating PowerPoint presentations, developing meeting agendas, and facilitating team meetings. Right out the gate, I had a role at the SC Campaign. I was fully embraced by the staff and senior leadership of the organization and truly felt like I was a part of the team. My thoughts and ideas were always taken into consideration and some my ideas even came into fruition in the form of a webinar focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth health and a corresponding publication. Additionally, I was able to interact with partners and stakeholders from across the state and learn about what investments are truly needed to address teen pregnancy in South Carolina. On the horizon, there is a new document being developed by the SC Campaign that will assist funders and organizations that want to invest in teen pregnancy prevention. Knowing that I contributed to the creation of this document is the culmination of my efforts and it feels good.

From the start, I felt like this postdoctoral fellowship position was a nice blend between research and public health practice. Given my background in qualitative research, I had the opportunity to conduct focus groups with parents of middle school students to examine their perception of school-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. I was responsible for developing the research protocol, research questions, facilitating the focus groups, and analyzing the data. One of the highlights of my experience at the SC Campaign, was when this research was accepted for publication in the Journal of Sex Education: Sexuality, Society, and Learning’s special issue dedicated to Dr. Douglas Kirby, an adolescent sexual health researcher who I have always admired.

I knew from the start that this was only a two-year position, but I never prepared myself for all of the knowledge and skills that I would acquire from the SC Campaign in that short period of time. I served as an adjunct faculty member at South University, became a Certified Health Education Specialist, and completed the United Way’s Blueprint for Leadership program. Having the opportunity to work with a staff as talented as the SC Campaign’s, I now feel I am equipped to advocate for teen pregnancy prevention and will continue to do so as my professional career develops.

This postdoctoral fellowship has provided a solid foundation for my career. The insight and feedback that I received from fellow staff was invaluable and for that I thank everyone at the SC Campaign for their input in my professional development. And on that note, I bid you farewell!

by India Rose, former Post Doctoral Fellow, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Freedom isn’t free. And neither is birth control.

The fireworks stands are popping up on every corner reminding us of the holiday that celebrates freedom and independence. However, a recent Supreme Court decision was quick to remind us that individual freedom- freedom to decide how to plan for child-bearing and freedom to decide what is best for our bodies is often not free. On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that closely held corporations, such as Hobby Lobby, cannot be required to provide contraceptive coverage to its employees if they object based on religious reasons. Our CEO, Forrest Alton, released this statement about the decision, “…when that decision-making autonomy is taken away and barriers are introduced, whether those be cost or otherwise, it makes it less likely women will choose to use the most effective methods of contraception consistently.” So while many women work in positions that will allow them access to long-acting reversible contraception (i.e. the IUD-intrauterine device) at a free or reduced cost, women who work at Hobby Lobby will not have the freedom to do the same. Of course, they can pay for it out-of-pocket but given the long-acting nature of these methods, the cost is often upwards of $500.


I find myself in a position that some may think is contradictory: I think the Supreme Court’s decision was wrong, and I am also a Christian. So where does that leave me? Does that mean that I am a lesser Christian than the executives at Hobby Lobby? I like to think that I am a Jesus-loving, women's rights supporting, Hillary in 2016 believing, firearm toting, equal rights supporting Christian. And no, I don't think that phrase is an oxymoron.

First of all, contraception is not just used by “promiscuous teens” (as you will hear some people say) but it is used by an overwhelming majority of women – young and old. The reasons for use vary, some women use contraception for the benefits to their skin and complexion, while others use it for regulating menstrual cycles, while the majority of women use it for preventing pregnancies or family planning. The long-acting reversible contraception methods (i.e., IUD, the shot, the implant), are used by many women in monogamous, exclusive relationships or marriages so they can plan for children or allow adequate space between pregnancies to help decrease the chances of complications during and after pregnancy.

While I am always in support of anyone standing up for what they think is right (even though I may not agree), it seems that if Hobby Lobby wants to use religious opposition to some forms of birth control, doesn’t that mean that they should also refuse to cover medications for diabetes and high blood pressure caused by obesity since gluttony is also a sin? Or refuse to cover psychological services that result from a sin like adultery or pornography addiction? Or perhaps refuse to cover medication that is only needed because of a sin - like medication needed because of experience with drug abuse and addiction?

Again, don’t get me wrong I am in full support of someone taking a stance for their religious freedom but shouldn’t it be an all or nothing stance? It isn’t fair to Christians as a whole when someone picks and choose the parts of the Bible that they want to enforce and then make a public stance based on religious beliefs. This type of “cherry-picking” Bible verses when it is convenient or comfortable supports the general consensus that all Christians are hypocritical and are only known for what they are against, and not what they are for (FYI –I believe my main man Jesus was for love, tolerance & forgiveness).

So as the holiday weekend approaches and we become consumed with fireworks, cookouts and dysfunctional family gatherings, consider this: the decision made by the Supreme Court directly impacted the freedom of a group of women who are employed with Hobby Lobby but even more so this decision was made loud and clear to all women who now feel more vulnerable to having their individual liberties stripped away by their employer. As anyone with a child knows, or anyone that has ever been around children, the ability to easily access and afford effective birth control options impacts everyone, not just us lucky ones born with a uterus.

Check out this TIME Magazine article to learn more about IUDs. 

by Sarah Kershner, It's Your Game Project Coordinator, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Until We Meet Again...

Me and coworker/friend Sarah Kershner

As I write this blog today, I will do my best not to melt into a puddle of tears. For the past seven years, I have served the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy as its Director of Communications – a position that I’ve truly loved. I have had the opportunity to work with, and learn from, some amazing people – from Forrest Alton who took a chance with me when he made his first hire as Executive Director  to Ashley Hunter who has showed me the ropes at the State House to Shannon Flynn and Sarah Kershner who have been my data gurus and more importantly, my friends. The staff at the SC Campaign is truly the best in the business, and I have been honored to be a part of this effort.

In addition to my colleagues within our office, I have also had the opportunity to work alongside phenomenal people like Don Flowers (my favorite Baptist Minister) and Bill Albert (CPO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and also the person I aspire to be like). I met both of these men within my first couple of months at the SC Campaign and have turned to them for guidance ever since. I appreciate them more than they know.

Me and my beautiful family

In just a few short days, I will transition out of my full-time role with the SC Campaign and into a less formal, consulting role with the organization.  While part of me is sad to go, I’m excited for what is waiting for me at home – two beautiful children, Lucas (4) and McLane (10 months). Since my son was born, I have seen just how fast time passes us by and have decided that I need to be more present for my children at this time.

I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the past seven years, but without a doubt, am most proud of the fact that I have built a top-notch communications department who will continue to produce A+ results.  Kylee, Kemi, Kim, Carol, and Sara are my heroes – they work tirelessly to promote our brands, to spread positive messages of teen pregnancy prevention, and to recruit supporters for our agency. At the end of the day, it is these people who I got to work with every day that I will miss the most!

I came to the SC Campaign with very little knowledge of public health or teen pregnancy prevention, but I am leaving as a huge advocate and #1 fan of the organization!  I would love to stay in touch with all of you so please follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @cbanks11.

Until we meet again…  

Cayci Banks, former Director of Communications, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

A Mother Was Born

March 24, 2002. A little more than 12 years ago I began the most challenging role of my life: mother. Up until that point I had been a daughter, student, friend, girlfriend, coworker, and wife but none of those roles had prepared me for my new position. I remember bringing our daughter home from the hospital and being amazed that they actually let my husband and I leave with her. The fact that we were allowed – and expected – to assume complete responsibility for this brand new life, this sweet little baby girl, was astounding to me. I kept waiting for someone to come tell us that they had made a mistake, that clearly we had no idea what we were doing – because we didn’t – and that she couldn’t go home with us. But no one came, and off we went, and oh what a journey it has been! There have been so many adventures and new experiences, a long line of firsts: first smile, first tears, first words, first teeth, first steps, first friends, first arguments, first days of school, first dance recital, first swim meet, first school dance, first communion. We have celebrated and rejoiced with each new skill, each new accomplishment, and each new step in the crazy dance toward adulthood.

This spring we’ve added a new first – a first boyfriend. And with this new first, all of those feelings of uncertainty and ill preparedness from the day we brought our precious bundle of joy home have come roaring back! Have we taught her to be kind and caring? Have we taught her to be respectful of herself and others? Have we taught her about healthy relationships and love? Have we done enough to help her feel empowered to make good decisions about her personal health and well-being? And the honest answer is: I don’t know.

But what I do know is that we have strived to create an ongoing dialogue, an atmosphere of openness, so that she never feels like she can’t ask us questions. I want her to know and understand that she should never be afraid to come to us with anything and that we will always try to listen.  We have always told her that as her parents we have three jobs: to keep her safe, to help her grow and to help her learn – with LOVE. We may not always have the answers but we can look for them together. Who knows where this journey is heading… but I can’t wait to find out!

by Shannon Lindsay, Training Coordinator, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

And the Celebration Continues...

Let's party like it's 1994!

In all seriousness, we are counting down to Summer Institute 2014, where we will continue to celebrate 20 years of accomplishments in teen pregnancy prevention while pushing even harder for more growth and progress. We are excited to have more than 350 colleagues from across the state and the nation. This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the 47 percent decrease in SC's birthrate but focus on the research, awareness, advocacy, and evidence-based programming necessary to keep improving as SC is still ranked 11 in the nation for teen births.  While we will work hard in beautiful Charleston, SC June 11-13, we will also take time to party just as hard as we did in Columbia at our 20th Anniversary Celebration, especially during our celebration on Thursday night at the conference! Check out some conference highlights below:

Social Work, Health Education, and Counseling Hours Available

The 2014 Summer Institute will provide strategies that impact young people's health and well-being by providing the latest information regarding teen pregnancy and STI/HIV prevention programs and approaches.  

The conference will feature: 

• Wednesday opening luncheon with Sarah S. Brown, CEO, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
• Thursday keynote address from Beverly Bond, founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK 
• More than 30 breakout sessions featuring presenters from across the country
• Friday Power Sessions, including information on motivational interviewing, leadership, teaching boys, communication, working with older youth and evidence-based interventions for young people
• networking opportunities for participants 
• An exhibit area that includes more than 20 relevant organizations and vendors 

Click here for the agenda and schedule of workshops.

More information is available at the Summer Institute Conference homepage.  Questions? Contact Kimberley Wicker at 803-771-7700.

by Kimberly Wicker, Outreach and Development Specialist, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Keep Talking to Closed Doors

When my mom held her baby girl and thought about the future I’m sure she saw our relationship growing into something Gilmore Girlesque when I became a teenager. I’d tell her about my first crush while she painted my nails. I’d cry on her shoulder and we'd pig out on ice cream when I got my heart broken. Reading my diary would never cross my mind because my life, to her, would be an open book.

Instead she got me. An introvert who thinks pouring my heart ranks slightly below a root canal on the list of things I’d rather not do. Even in the height of my teenage angst, I’d be much more likely to grab my running shoes than I would my cell phone after a tough breakup.

That had to be hard for a touchy-feely, extrovert like my mom. But to this day I’m amazed that she has never stopped letting me know she was there if I needed her. She kept asking questions even when I gave her one-word answers. When I got annoyed and slammed my door, she’d slip a “thinking of you” card under it. She instituted a mandatory call-home-on-Sundays policy when I moved out and still sent a card when she knew I was struggling.

As annoying as I thought it was when I was a teenager, I so appreciate it now. My whole life I knew that there was always someone I could go to with my problems. Having that security gave me the courage to move halfway across the country, try new things, be willing to accept myself for who I am, have the courage to fail, and the faith that I would eventually succeed.

by Kylee Perez, Communications Specialist, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Support Our Mustachioed Men!

Mustache Grower
Chris Adams

March…spring is the air, basketball playoffs are right around the corner, and mustaches are going to be in full bloom!

That’s right, it’s time once again for the SC Campaigns’s annual Mustache Madness competition.

This year, we have 15 men who have signed up to grow a 'stache, and nothing but a 'stache, for a good cause.

Why 15? Well, 15 teens give birth in South Carolina every day so we have found 15 men who are willing to do something about it!

Be sure to check out all of their photos, which will be updated weekly, and support your favorite mustachioed man.


He who raises the most money will be crowned the winner. It's easy: choose your favorite, support his 'stache, and share his page on your social media
platforms!

by Cayci Banks, Director of Communications, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Let's Recap: Summertime Vetos and Reproductive Rights

 To say this summer has been a busy one for reproductive rights may be
putting it lightly. For those of us working in the field it has felt a bit like a battlefield.

While many were all out celebrating our nation’s freedom, the SC governor was constructing a veto that seemed to add insult to injury for victims of sexual assault. On July 5, Governor Haley released a list of vetoes including Veto 51 that cut $454,000 that was to be given to the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) to fund rape and sexual assault prevention programs across our state. To make matters worse, she claimed that providing these services to rape and sexual assault victims and their families was a distraction to the overall mission of DHEC. As if victims of rape and sexual assault do not feel isolated enough from society, Nikki Haley made a public statement that the small slice of normal they are given through the services of a victim advocate is nothing but a distraction for the community.

In a press conference held at the office of Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands on Monday, July 16, representatives from both sides of the political sector were present. The message from all of them was clear: rape and sexual assault can affect anyone at anytime no matter one’s race, gender, age or political affiliation. While women are targeted at a much higher rate (1 in 6 women are directly affected), it is estimated that one in every 33 American men will become a victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime [1].

It is imperative that funding to prevent rape and sexual assault be maintained in our state. Sexual assault has the ability to change a person’s life forever. Sexually abused teens are more likely to run away from home, use drugs, and experience psychological changes in the brain [2]. In addition, sexually abused adolescents are more likely to experience a pregnancy than non-abused teens [2]. Sexually abused adolescents are also less likely to use condoms or other forms of contraception [2]. Providing funding to organizations and programs who work around the clock to provide assistance to victims and their families deserve our support.

  I am proud to report that 111 House members and 39 Senate members were able to overturn this veto. It is near impossible for me to put into words how proud and appreciative I am of those House and Senate members who not only understood the importance of funding rape crisis centers, but had the courage to stand up for the victims.

When a person is victimized by sexual assault, the entire community is affected. In order to strengthen our community, we must protect every member.

References
[1] Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN), http://www.rainn.org/
[2] Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2004, 36(3):98-105. Found online: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3609804.html

Always be sure to Inspire, Connect, and Impact...

The kids are looking, so let's always Inspire, Connect, and Impact.

The stairs weren't this large, but Taylor, our blog manager, likes to exaggerate!

A few months ago, my then 2-year-old and I were walking downstairs at my Mother-in-Law's house.  I slipped while holding a glass of tea and, yes, I fell down the stairs. The rest of the family ­­­ FINE, I just lost my balance and dropped the glass.  My husband snickered because he knows how clumsy I can be, but everyone else was fine with my assertion that everything was ok….everyone except my 2-year old that is.  My toddler boldly inserts himself in the conversation and tells everyone to “WAIT…my Mommy FELL down those stairs RIGHT THERE and she fell LIKE THIS” – that’s when he goes back up the stairs and begins what turns into a live looped reenactment of my secretly not so flattering fall!!  No need for a You Tube video!  It was absolutely hilarious and made me realize that NOTHING gets past this kid.

All joking aside, as parents, teachers, counselors, social workers, and other youth-serving professionals, we should never take for granted how our words AND actions impact young people, especially those most vulnerable and at-risk.  None of us are perfect and young people KNOW THIS, so when we stumble or even fall, we must remember to show them how to persevere through difficult times, how to make tough decisions, and how to ask for help.

My immediate reaction to the fall was superficial…how do I look in this situation, how can I prove that I am really ok.  Yet, as adults, we always want kids to share, to be honest, and to listen.  Well, my toddler demanded that my true circumstances be brought to light.  And, really that’s what young people want…not to know all of our business, but to know that we care and are not judging them.  If we want young people to be open, then we must not be clouded by superficial notions of what things SHOULD look like, but be able to meet young people where they are and show our openness to what they have to say.

A few weeks ago, the SC Campaign hosted more than 350 youth-serving professionals at our 13^th annual Summer Institute, entitled Inspire, Connect, Impact.  We were grateful to have so many passionate adults willing to carve out some time to learn more about best practices in teen pregnancy prevention and other health/youth related efforts around the state and country.  Professional development opportunities like this shape our ability to effectively reach young people and to grow as mentors and role models for the next generation.

We can truly inspire, connect, and impact the lives of young people even as we constantly work our own way through the maze of life!

Kimberly Wicker is the Outreach Specialist for the SC Campaign.

Giving Back on Our "Road Trip"!

The clouds hang heavy and low, and the air is thick with humidity. The sticky days of summer are back in South Carolina. Despite the fact that the weather is hot and bothered, the SC Campaign staff is celebrating Christmas!

Well, not exactly Christmas. May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, which around our office is almost just as exciting as when old St. Nick visits! We’re packing our cars full of staff to travel around the state raising awareness around teen pregnancy. The Road Show 2012 is already well underway and staff  have already visited 23counties in South Carolina. As a part of our Road Show event, we’re hosting volunteer events around the state. As a lifelong busy body, community service has become a passion of mine.

Volunteering helps individuals feel more connected to their community while improving their overall mood. It’s a win-win: the individual gains a stronger sense of community engagement while the organization is able to save money to invest in its efforts elsewhere. Many non-profit organizations do not have the budget to cover all of the projects on their to-do list – not to mention the time to spend completing them. Instead of spending time and money on planting flowers or painting, the organization is likely to focus on making ends meet to fund the staff who are working so hard to achieve the goals of the organization. As community members, we may not have the skills necessary to help balance the budget or construct a marketing plan, but we do have a little spare time.

What if you talked to the staff at the child center down the road whose yard looks like a desert about planting some flowers? What if you talked to the staff at the teen clinic about painting the beige walls of the waiting room a more inviting color? The staff would be blown away with your generosity and you would be forever grateful for the experience.

During the Road Show last year, SC Campaign staff hosted three volunteer events. When you mention these events around our office, faces light up. The warm feeling still persists within these volunteers. Giving back to the community not only helps the organization, but helps ignite a fire within the volunteer to send good into the world.

With the fire still burning from last year, we wanted to do more volunteer events this year. So far we have many events planned: a book drive for an underprivileged school in Horry County, planting flowers at a children’s home in Clinton, reading to elementary school children in Lexington County, and a staff appreciation day at a clinic in Charleston.

Volunteering is a way to give back to your community. These past few years have brought on tough economic times for every community. We have all been affected by this in one way or another. Volunteering your time to an organization that serves a cause that is near and dear to your heart is tremendously valuable (and free!). I encourage all of you to get involved in your community. Find an organization whose beliefs align with your own and give them a call. Perhaps you can spare a few hours a month to walk dogs at a local shelter, deliver hot meals to senior citizens, read to children at a local hospital or organize a clothing drive for a homeless shelter.

As my Yogi tea bag reminded me the other day “you are limitless.” Go forth and do good.

Enough of the "We Can't do this in South Carolina" Talk

I’ll be honest, it’s one of my pet peeves – this talk about what we can and can’t do simply because of the limits of geography.  I moved to South Carolina fifteen years ago which comes close to making me a “local”, but I fully understand that even another fifteen years won’t make me a “native.”  Nonetheless, I have dedicated a considerable amount of that time doing things that (in my opinion) are making the state better.  I care about South Carolina, care about its citizens and have an especially large place in my heart for its young people and others who are presumably without a voice in decision making.

One of my many professional goals is to ensure that all young people in South Carolina are receiving research proven, age-appropriate sexuality education in school.  It’s a seemingly never-ending battle met with many iterations of “we can’t do that here!”  To be fair, some communities and school districts are well on their way to this level of instruction and are doing the best they can with what they have; however, saying there is widespread implementation of effective sexuality education in South Carolina would be a stretch.

Given this interest, I pay attention when I see that other states or locales have instituted sexuality education policies like this story that broke out of New York City this week.  Let the chorus rain… “yeah but, that’s New York City”… and, of course the “but we can’t do that here.”  Well, here’s the dirty little secret hidden in the article: “a survey… in 2009 found that 81 percent of city voters thought that sex education should be taught in public schools.”  And, the article implies that was enough to overcome opposition from a variety of groups.

Guess what?  In South Carolina a survey conducted in 1997, replicated in 2004 and replicated again in 2007 indicated that 81% of South Carolina registered voters support sex education being taught in South Carolina public schools that emphasizes abstinence but also includes information on contraception.”  Want more? Community level surveys conducted in Spartanburg County (87% support) and Horry County (87%) in 2011 indicate that support may actually be increasing!

The question is no longer “can we do that here” rather, we must begin to ask ourselves “do we have the will, drive and commitment to GET IT DONE here!”  We are on our way, so one final question - who’s with us?

By: Forrest Alton, CEO, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy