SAVE THE DATE!

NOVEMBER 14
Clinic Tour
Fort Worth

JANUARY 25
Issues and Opportunities, Roles and Responsibilities: Promoting a Positive Body Image in Adolescents
Fort Worth

JANUARY 30
Annual Luncheon
Fort Worth

FEBRUARY 22
Annual Awards Luncheon
Dallas

FEBRUARY 29
Dialoguing with Youth About Sexual Issues
Dallas

“I used to have limits to what I thought I could do.  People would say I couldn't play basketball because I was too short, I couldn't play football because I was too little and that I couldn't box because I was too skinny.  But [now] I have no more limitations.  I know I can be anything I want to be.”

—Antonio
Tomorrow's Leader
Award Recipient

"Prevention has always been the foundation of Planned Parenthood.  However, we are one of few organizations that understand education is paramount to prevention."

—James T. Roderick
President/CEO

—Naomi Aberly
PPNT Board Chair

"The girls just get so much out of this," Smith said.  "Days after Teen Savvy, the kids are still talking about it."

 —Jeana Smith
Juliette Fowler Homes

"Texas receives the largest proportion of governmental abstinence-only funding, yet Texas has the highest rate of teen births in the nation."

—Chris Jonsson

YOUTH RECOGNIZED AT TEEN SAVVY CONFERENCE

Each year for the last 20 years, Planned Parenthood of North Texas (PPNT) has provided more than 250 Dallas at-risk youth with a full day of fun and informative workshops during the summer.  Teen Savvy is an opportunity for youth in social services agencies to interact with others in a positive way while learning about responsible decision-making and life skills.

Every year, PPNT recognizes and honors four Teen Savvy participants who have struggled to overcome difficulties in life.  In most cases these are teens who are not old enough to drive but have had to deal with abuse, the incarceration of a parent, or the sudden death of a young relative.

Gabrielle (last name withheld), only fifteen years old, feels she has raised her six younger siblings with limited assistance from adults.  She has had to overcome the death of one of her siblings.  To escape the hardships in her life, Gabrielle ran away from home, left school and experimented with drugs.  Through the intervention of a collaborating agency, she has turned her life around partly by realizing how important education is—she knew she could not get the job she wanted without an education.

Gabrielle said she hopes that by receiving the leadership award from PPNT, people will now take her more seriously.  She also believes it will help her achieve her goal of working in the health care field.

Antonio (last name withheld), age twelve, said best the message of Teen Savvy, "I used to have limits to what I thought I could do.  People would say I couldn't play basketball because I was too short, I couldn't play football because I was too little and that I couldn't box because I was too skinny.  But after the death of my cousin, I have no more limitations.  I know I can be anything I want to be.  I will now enroll in boxing as soon as there is an opening.  My cousin's death showed me that life is too short—so do something while you have a chance."

Through his involvement in the West Dallas Community Center, Antonio empowers youth and helps them realize nothing is unattainable.  Antonio said he hopes more than anything this leadership award will encourage his brothers to follow in his footsteps and stay on the right path. 

ShaKeena (last name withheld) has spent the majority of her fourteen years living in housing developments in West Dallas.  Her grandmother, whom she has had to become a caregiver to because of cancer, primarily raised her.  Sustaining a positive relationship with her mother has always been one of her goals and, thankfully, she accomplished that goal this year. 

With the past, ShaKeena showed her frustrations in her personal life at school.  She became disruptive, verbally abusive to her teacher and peers, and was eventually expelled.  Through her involvement in the West Dallas Community Center, she has made changes.  Her grades have improved dramatically; she is a student aide in the office at her school; and she is a group leader and youth worker aide for West Dallas Community Centers.  ShaKeena hopes to become a social worker who helps people with family issues.

At the age of fifteen, Shelby had to become the primary caregiver to his younger brother and sister while they were displaced from a home for several months and ultimately separated.  This separation seriously affected his progress in school.  However, Shelby was able to turn his situation into something positive through help offered by one of the Teen Savvy collaborating agencies. 

Shelby is becoming a leader at home and in school.  He now motivates and encourages his peers and siblings to focus on education and the achievement of their goals.  Shelby said receiving this recognition from PPNT would help him further his aspirations of higher education.  He hopes to go to college or a trade school so that one day he can pursue his dream of designing cars.

TEEN SAVVY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Jeana Smith has worked for Juliette Fowler Homes since 1994 and she cannot recall a year she did not bring residents to Teen Savvy.

"The girls just get so much out of this," Smith said.  "Days after Teen Savvy, the kids are still talking about it."

Juliette Fowler Homes houses young women aged twelve to seventeen who are coping with a variety of life problems.  This year Smith, who is now the programming coordinator for the youth in residential treatment, brought 20 participants.  She said Teen Savvy is an important event not only because of the programs it provides but also because it gives teens a positive way to connect with other youth in the community.

"Whether we're attending Teen Savvy or the PPNT educators are coming onsite to talk to the girls, as an agency, we feel very connected to Planned Parenthood," Smith said.

TACT AND TEEN SAVVY

One of the highlights of the year for PPNT's TeenAge Communication Theatre (TACT) is performing at Teen Savvy.

Each year, 30 teens from the Dallas area volunteer their time to PPNT, educating other teens through drama.  Through the TACT program, teen volunteers develop leadership qualities and learn about social welfare and health care.  They create theatrical performances that address many of the problems that adolescents face—from drug and alcohol abuse to sexual abstinence, pregnancy and teen suicide.

TACT especially enjoys performing for the Teen Savvy audience because the group gets a chance to evaluate the scenes it has developed and determine whether they represent the reality of teens' lives and the decisions that they make.  The scenes are open-ended to promote discussion and communication with the audience.

KNOWLEDGE EQUALS PROTECTION
—By Chris Jonsson

The number one goal of PPNT has always been prevention.  As a longtime supporter of PPNT, I am struck by how antiquated the Texas legislation is regarding sexuality education in our schools.  The lack of access to factual information on human reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases puts our children's health and futures at risk.  Without all the facts, our young people are ill-equipped to make good sexual decisions.

To assume that all parents will supply their children with accurate and complete facts about human reproduction is an unreasonable expectation.  Schools can and should provide consistent, age-appropriate information on the science of human health.

We cannot help prevent if we do not educate.  Texas receives the largest proportion of governmental abstinence-only funding, yet Texas has the highest rate of teen births in the nation.

Abstinence-only sex education does not supply young people with enough information to prevent unintended pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.  Birth control methods are rarely discussed in classrooms and birth control is not provided to students at school unless the student has already given birth.  The results speak for themselves.

In addition, moral, ethical and religious training is best left in the realm of the home and family, because of the personal nature of these kinds of values, and should not be dictated by the government.

PPNT creates age-appropriate programs to help teens talk about sexually responsible behavior, contraception and the importance of sexual health.  The difficulty of children raising children and the need for abortion can be avoided when young people are well informed.

When teens have children, the likelihood of continuing their education is greatly diminished.  Without higher education, prospects for finding well-paying jobs go down and the possibility of living in poverty increases.  Chances are the mothers and children will need governmental assistance to live.  The future does not look bright for anyone concerned.

I think if PPNT could provide thorough sexuality education in our Texas schools, the lives of our teens would improve dramatically.  Providing complete sexuality education in schools is a win-win investment in our kids.

Those who are concerned about abuse, poverty, overpopulation and higher taxes need to speak up in favor of appropriate sexuality education.  Schools and youth serving agencies partnering with Planned Parenthood to educate young people makes a lot of sense.