Networking and Membership Meeting

Tomorrow, November 17th, we have the good fortune of hearing Jose Villalba from UNCG, present to us about Hispanic/Latino cultural differences. The meeting will be held in the 8th floor conference room of the Self-Help Building (122 N. Elm Street, GSO, NC). We will begin at 8:30 with breakfast and conclude somewhere around 10:15. Come join us.

A Huge Success

The 5th Annual Guilford Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Conference was a HUGE success. We had 99 persons either pre-register or register at the door. Thanks to the Thomasville PEP Group for their lunchtime skit; to James Moffat for being our videographer/photographer/blogger during the event; to the speakers and presenters who kept their participants captivated; to UNCG for both catering and hosting our event; to all the great GCAPP board members; and to all the wonderful, interactive attendees. Now we begin planning for the 6th Annual Conference.

STARS of GCAPP announced

We're announcing the winners of this year's STARS of GCAPP awards, and we had a great group of nominees to choose from.

We would like to thank everyone who was nominated and who did the nominating, since you gave us such a great crop of people to recognize at this year's annual GCAPP Conference.

Here are your award-winners, by category:

Adolescent (teen up to age of 19 who has contributed to promoting healthy lifestyles for our youth): Jasmine Davis, Teens Taking Action (Planned Parenthood)

Professional (person working in the field with our youth to promote healthy lifestyles): Dr. Bob Strack, UNCG Professor of Public Health

Volunteer (person who dedicates their time and service working with GCAPP to promote healthy lifestyles among the youth in the community): Kathy Schroetter, Beyond Academics

Essential Piece (a person who has a longstanding relationship with GCAPP who has dedicated numerous years of service to promote the organization and its mission): Annette Sentner, Guilford County Schools

STARS of GCAPP Award winners
(back, from left) Dr. Bob Strack, Kathy Schroetter, GCAPP Executive Director Linda DeShazo
(front, from left) Jasmine Davis, Annette Setner

2009 GCAPP Conference: Teen Pep performs

Lunch at the 5th Annual GCAPP Conference isn't all about the food. We're at a conference, so you've got to learn during every session, right?

Attendees at this year's conference are lucky enough to see a performance from the group Teen Pep of Thomasville High School students who are trained to talk to others about issues facing teens today. They do skits and acts about issues, including sex and pregnancy among teens.

Jim Burchel has done a great job with these students and they're really funny. If you're interested in learning more about the group, here's a link to Jim's email address.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a snippet from their performance at the conference:

2009 GCAPP Conference: Boxed lunches are so not our style

The morning breakout sessions are finished, which means we have a lot of hungry people to feed. But that's okay, because the staff at UNCG's Elliott Center is here to please.

Now, we're no run-of-the-mill conference. Boxed lunches? No way. We want our conference attendees to feel like kings and queens. So check out what's on the menu at this year's conference, let your mouth water at what you're missing and realize that the menu is just another great reason to register for next year's event.

2009 GCAPP Conference: Breakout sessions going strong

After a wonderful keynote from Terri Mitchell, attendees are off to one of the four breakout sessions scheduled for the morning.

Classrooms are packed, speakers are engaging their audiences and preparations are underway for lunch and the announcement of this year's STARS of GCAPP, which will be revealed in, oh, a little over an hour.

And we've got more photos of today's event online. Check out the Facebook album of today's event for some new photos from the breakout sessions. We'll be updating throughout the day, including the announcement of this year's STARS of GCAPP winners.

And while everyone is learning a lot and taking copious notes, some haven't forgotten to have a little fun in the process.

2009 GCAPP Conference: Keynote is underway

The 5th Annual GCAPP Conference is off to a great start thanks to the ongoing keynote from Terri Mitchell from Appalachian State University. So where are you?

Here are some quick photos from the morning keynote session of today's conference. We'll be posting more photos during the breakouts and luncheon, plus we have more photos from today's event on our Facebook page and will continue to add them as they day goes on. Continue to check our Facebook page and this blog for updates.

Keynote Speaker Terri Mitchell

Attendees prior to the start of this year's conference

Susan Schumaker and Sandra Boren of Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation listen to Terri Mitchell's keynote

GCAPP Executive Director Linda DeShazo welcomes attendees

Attendees register for today's conference

APPCNC releases 2008 teen pregnancy statistics

This is a perfect time to say this, since the keynote at today's 5th Annual GCAPP Conference, Terry Mitchell, just pointed it out.

Last week, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina released its 2008 teen pregnancy statistics and, according to the organization, they look good.

According to APPCNC's data, North Carolina's teen pregnancy rate fell to a 30-year low. However, there's still work to be done, as nearly 60 out of every 1,000 North Carolina teens (ages 15-19) wind up getting pregnant.

“North Carolina has been smart to leverage investments from the General Assembly and the Centers for Disease Control to bring proven pregnancy prevention strategies to North Carolina,” says Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC) Executive Director Kay Phillips. “This new data shows that we are headed in the right direction, and that we must keep pressing forward so that more communities can benefit from these tools.”

If you want to see the full statistics, which include data on pregnancies by county and ethnicity, we've provided them for you on our Web site.

2009 GCAPP Conference: Here We Go ...

Registration is under way for the 5th Annual GCAPP Conference, being held in UNCG's Elliott Center. We have more than 100 people attending today's conference, including a group of students from the university who are being introduced to our organization and its mission, our partners and our members.

Check back on this blog later today for links to photos and information about this year's STARS of GCAPP award winners, who will be announced during our luncheon.

It truly will be a great day. We look forward to seeing all of you here today and, if you haven't registered, don't worry; we'll be glad to sign you up when you come to the door.

Let's Talk Month

Well October is here and it has brought cool and wet weather. This is the month that GCAPP focuses on talking with our children about sexuality. Parents, due to normal hormonal production, you can no longer deny that your teen is at risk for sexual activity. Teens are bombarded with sexual messages every day. How much time do you spend daily counteracting these false messages? Stop denying that your teen is a sexual being…. they are, after all, just like you. Start believing that movies, television, the internet, and music are providing your child with sexual information ….these mediums only create more ideas, which you as the parent must address. Talk with your teens, daily, weekly, monthly about the joys and responsibilities of being a sexual human being. It is normal, natural and should be celebrated. Stop denying that your teen may be sexually active. Help them understand how to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, beyond the normal, “just don’t do it.” Get involved, make a difference, be proactive, and talk with your teen. They want your advice. The time for denial is over

Attention

What would get your attention? What would make you realize adolesecent pregnancy rates in Guilford County are deplorable? What would make you use birth control... correctly? What would it take to get you to seek long-term birth control? What will it take to make you realize babies are easy to make -- it does not take a man or a woman. We have had a nine year old get pregnant in Guilford County. She was not a woman. Making a baby does not make you a woman or a man. Raising that child makes you a mother or father ... not producing it. Anyone who has gone through puberty can make a child.. being responsible and using birth control or not even having sex makes you appear mature. Don't ruin your life with any unplanned pregnancy.

Social media -Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

On October 15th, 2009, GCAPP will sponsor a parent training concerning the topic of social media. Crystal Overcash, Detective with the Sheriff's Department Internet Crime Unit, will present on the topic of "Why we should be concerned about Social Media." The event will be held at Congregational United Church of Christ, 400 Radiance Drive, Greensboro. We will start at 5:30 with dinner (must RSVP at 274-2217or linda@gcapponline.org) and the program begins at 6:00pm. Come join us and learn about all aspects of social media and how your children can be targeted by predators.

Upcoming Conference

I would urge anyone interested in adolescent pregnancy prevention to attend the GCAPP conference on October 22nd at UNCG Elliott Center. This is a great opportunity to experience excellent speakers at very low cost. GCAPP wants to get information out to the community and State at a nominal rate during these tough economic times. Details on this conference can be found on our website: http://www.gcapponline.org. Scan down the home page and you will find the conference listed under special events. Click on the conference date and you can get details of the speakers, sessions, etc.

Branding

If GCAPP could get a marketing firm to identify a "slogan or campaign" symbol, and all direct providers of adolescent pregnancy prevention initiatives in Guilford County decided to use this "slogan or campaign symbol" do you think we could brand teen pregnancy into the vision of our community. Until as a community we accept the fact that we must address this issue and attempt to alleviate unplanned,unwanted teen pregnancies, we cannot resolve the problem. Come on people- let's get on board.

Denial is not bliss

As a county, state and nation we continue to deny that adolesent pregnancy is a huge problem. As a county, our rate of adolescent pregnancy is worse than the State's rate. As a State, we are the ninth worse in the United States. As a nation, we have the worse teenage pregnancy rate of any industrialized country. Yet, we won't talk about sex and yet every commercial, song, advertisement, and billboard alludes to sex.. sells with sex. Wake up Guilford...Wake up North Carolina...Wake up America...Wake up parents. Talk with your children about sex. Everyone else does!!

Community Summit

Dr. Keith Debbage, Professor of Urban Development at UNCG, reports that a measure of a community's health is its teenage pregnancy rate. Furthermore, he states that Greensboro and Guilford County's high teenage pregnancy rate (56.8 per 1,000 teens age 15-19) provides bad economic news for our community. As a community, we have got to address this issue. Young people deserve the right to have a life - both as a teenager and as an adult. The two should not have to overlap and merge. I propose we have a community summit to address this issue and as a community, let's work together to prevent unintended teenage pregnancies. I know we can.

Sexting

What do girls think about when they send, to their boyfriends via the internet, pictures of their semi-nude body? Do they really believe that this boyfriend will be their lover, partner, soul-mate for life.... when they are currently sixteen???
What happens when the break-up occurs? Is he going to keep that picture private for eternity? Think before you push send --- your life can be forever altered by a technology mistake of your youthful years.

Teenage Pregnancy Continues to be ignored

Did you know that North Carolina has the eighth worse teenage pregnancy rate in the United States? Did you know that Guilford County's rate is worse than North Carolina's? Why are we ignoring this huge issue? Three teenagers get pregnant in Guilford County each day. Two of these deliver babies. Lives are being altered forever. Why can we not, as a community, address this situation.

Why can we not as a nation embrace the fact that sexuality is a normal function, a right of passage and an act pursued by virtually all teenagers? Let's address the topic, embrace it, debate it but accept that it is a normal human function. Parents, talk about sex, sexuality and parenthood with your children. Teach them your values and morals but do not be afraid for them to receive additional knowledge in the classrooms of the public schools. Let's work together to help reduce teen pregnancy. Get involved.

Additions

GCAPP has made some positive changes to our website. Go online and see if you can find them?
Also, please note that our November 17th networking meeting has now become our second membership meeting for the year. We are searching for a meeting place. Have you got any ideas?

Great News

Great News!! Fox 8 did a great story about our community ally "College Bound Sisters". Find information about this great story at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529037,00.html.

Additionally, I have been informed of a website that informs us of pregnant/parenting teen needs and issues - as well as many other health topics. This can be found at: http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/

Check these out!!

SEX- Do you find this word offensive? Evidently the Greensboro Grasshoppers' mangement does. The Guilford Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy co-sponsored a ball game on Father's Day, June 21, 2009. As part of the sponsorship, we were allowed some public service announcement opportunities - three verbal and three visual (on the scoreboard). One of our verbal announcements said, "Talk with your children about sex.... everyone else does." The Grasshopper management said, and I quote "we are a little hesitant to use the word “sex” during our games. Would it be okay to alter that to say “talk to your kids about pregnancy prevention”?

I objected to the change because the message was not meant to imply only pregnancy prevention but disease prevention, loss of reputation, etc. The Greensboro Grasshoppers' Management decided that saying the word "sex" out loud was just too precocious for ball park attendees. Do they watch TV especially ABC Family TV?

This is what is wrong with our society. We throw constant sexual messages at our children which are filled with falsehoods but refuse to educate them. No wonder teenage pregnancy rates are soaring in this country!

Great opportunities

Over the course of the next two evenings, ABC will be offering two opportunities to view real life experiences associated with teen pregnancy and teen parenting. Tonight, Monday, June 22nd at 8:00 pm you can watch "The Secret Life of an American Teenager". This show challenges the normal media examples of carefree pregnancy and parenting. Tomorrow night, June 23rd, on ABC at 10:00 pm you can watch "Family Secrets" which once again helps us realize the many pitfalls of being a teenager but confronting the pressures and adult realities of pregnancy and parenting.