Teen Parent Panel

As part of Teen Talk, TTSE's comprehensive sexuality education program, TTSE has developed the Teen Parent Panel (TPP) Program to educate youth that participate in Teen Talk about the realities of teen pregnancy/parenthood. The teen parent panels are facilitated discussions comprised of trained pregnant and parenting teen speakers. Most of our teen speakers are from Redwood and Baden High Schools and receive a small stipend for their presentations.

Surveys of students who have seen the panels found that 98% of them say they are more likely to use birth control if they choose to have sex and 79% say they are more likely to postpone having sexual intercourse after hearing first-hand about the realities of teen parenthood.

For school year 2007-2008, the teen parent panel has presented at 26 schools or community events. Teen parent panels have a credibility and authenticity unmatched by any other form of educational presentation by an adult. The panels provide both the students and the speakers with an invaluable opportunity to gain from each other.

Positive outcomes for audience members include:

• Challenging youth to examine their own sexual values and behavior and to be aware of the consequences of making or not making various decisions;
• Providing realistic information about the legal and financial responsibilities of parenting a child for both mother and father that often surprise audience members;
• Changing stereotypical views held by audience members -both positive and negative-of pregnant and parenting teens.

Positive outcomes for teen parent speakers include:

• Gaining a more positive self-image as they help youth make more informed choices and decisions-and thus avoid teen pregnancy-by contributing their experience and expertise
• Gaining poise, self-confidence and public speaking experience and often feeling a sense of "specialness" from the positive attention paid to them and receive direct verbal affirmation from the audience.