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DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

Advocacy & Public Policy

Advocacy in Action Week

Join us on March 2-5, 2021 as we (virtually) meet with state policymakers
to discuss adolescent health and teen pregnancy prevention. The event will
include an online advocacy training session, virtual meetings with
lawmakers and staff, and town hall sessions. The total time commitment will
be about 1-2 hours. To register, visit our Advocacy in Action page. [2]If
you are interested in serving as a regional group lead, please reach out to
Jen Biundo at [email protected].

Research & Data

December Chart of the Month

The newest birth data has been released by the CDC, showing yet another
year of declining teen birth rates, both in Texas and nationwide. Texas now
has the 9th highest rate of teen birth nationwide and the second highest
rate of repeat teen birth.

The Texas teen birth rate dropped from 25.3 to 23.8 per 1,000 teens aged
15-19, while the US teen birth rate dropped from from 17.4 to 16.7 per
1,000. In Texas, there were 24,382 births to teens aged 15-19 in 2019,
compared to 25,089 in 2018. Additionally, in 2019 there were 273 births to
children aged 10-14, compared to 304 in 2018. Like the nation, Texas
continues to see disparities in teen births rates. Youth in rural
communities, youth of color, and youth with a history of trauma continue to
experience disproportionately high rates of teen birth.

Training

10th Annual Symposium - Postponed

The Texas Campaign has decided to postpone our 10th annual Symposium, which
was originally scheduled for April 19-21, until Fall 2021 with the hopes
that we can hold a hybrid event in Central Texas or San Antonio. We would
like to meet in-person for those who are comfortable doing so, and
virtually for those who prefer that option. This decision is based on
current information regarding the rollout of a vaccine and feedback from
stakeholders about one of the event’s purposes – engaging with and
learning from youth-serving professionals from across Texas. THE NEW DATE
WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY 2021.

If you are interesting in serving on the Symposium planning committee,
please contact Melanie Chasteen, [email protected].

2021 Webinar Series: Registration Now Open

Join the Texas Campaign for the first webinar in our 2021 Webinar Series -
What's Next: Advocacy and the 87th Legislative Session.

The 87th Legislative Session will be gaveled in on January 12. In the
midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many unknowns remain about the
coming session. But we will continue to advocate for adolescent
reproductive health, as we did throughout 2020 with the adoption of new sex
education minimum curriculum standards at the State Board of Education.
During this webinar, we will provide an overview of new health education
TEKS, including the advocacy work that supported their adoption; share the
policy priorities of the Texas Campaign for the upcoming legislative
session; and outline ways that you can effectively advocate for Texas
youth.

EACH WEBINAR IS $25, AND INCLUDES FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR
MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES. IF YOU NEED A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND, PLEASE CONTACT
MELANIE CHASTEEN, [email protected] [3]. 

Click Here to Register [4]

Community Engagement

Storytelling Spotlight with Mayra Yundt-Pacheco

Each month, the Texas Campaign seeks to interview young adults on their
experience with sex education in Texas or teen pregnancy. The impact of
these stories helps inform our work across the state.

This month, we interviewed our Policy & Data Intern, Mayra Yundt-Pacheco,
on her experience being a young mother while in graduate school.

If you are interested in sharing your story, email Alex at
[email protected].

Read Mayra's Story [5]

[5]

You are Invited: Regional Coalition Meeting

Are you a member of your region's teen pregnancy or adolescent health
coalition? If so, join the Texas Campaign on Wed., Jan. 27, 2-3:30 CST for
our quarterly virtual meeting where we will discuss opportunities to
virtually engage with lawmakers through our Advocacy in Action week next
March, and ongoing advocacy efforts. We also are still collecting feedback
from Coalition leads and members on what type of support you are interested
in (ie: communications, data, advocacy) and ask that you complete this
short survey [6] (if you haven't done so already) regardless of whether you
can attend the meeting.

THE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 2-3:30 PM CST. ADVANCE
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. [7]

Partner News

Free Resources Available: RHNTC

Free training and technical assistance services and opportunities are now
available through the Reproductive Health National Training Center (RHNTC).
Though created to provide support to Title X and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
grantees, the resources are free and available to all. Trainings and
resources can be accessed here. [8] The RHNTC works in collaboration with
the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) and the Office on Women’s Health
(OWH) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health to address the
needs of Title X family planning service grantees and providers and Teen
Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) grantees and program staff.

Save the Date

Save the date for the Adolescent Health Initiative's 7th Annual Conference
on Adolescent Health [9]on May 13-14, 2021. You can expect an
interdisciplinary schedule of speakers, opportunities for Continuing
Education credits, exciting new sponsorship & exhibiting opportunities, and
even a virtual networking session. REGISTRATION FOR THE EVENT OPENS ON
FEBRUARY 15, 2021. 

Manage my preferences [10]

Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy P.O Box 10357
Austin, Texas 78766

[email protected] / 512-686-8305

Opt-out of all email communications [11]

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