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