Teens from all over San Mateo County will be recognized in Redwood City Thursday for educating their peers about the realities of parenthood.
Thirteen young parents will be commended for contributing to the discussion about teenage pregnancy in a pragmatic way and helping other students learn about sexual health issues. The teens were panelists in the Teen Parent Panel Program, which is a the flagship product of the Teen Talk Sexuality Education organization.
The TTSE began in 1988 as a way to identify options for pregnant students who wanted to obtain a high school degree, according to the program’s website. The organization offers science-based, educational sexual health curriculums for young adults in the Redwood City area. The organization’s goal is to reduce the rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in the community.
“The Teen Parent Panel is a cornerstone of our middle and high school programs,” said Abigail Karlin-Resnick, Teen Talk’s Executive Director. “It is inspiring to hear the honesty and introspection with which our panelists approach their past decisions and their passion for helping other teens learn from their experiences,” Karlin-Resnick said.
Teen Parent Panelists delivered interactive presentations to more than 3,000 students at 20 schools, including Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia, Woodside, and Carlmont High Schools, in the 2012-13 academic school year.
A reception will be held to honor their contributions to the community from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday May 23 in the Community Room of the San Mateo Credit Union, located at 350 Convention Way in Redwood City.
The panelists who will be recognized are:
Stephanie Aboytes, Wendy Casillas, Semone Collier, Karla Flores, Mayerlin Genchi, Jorge Genchi, Linda Rascon, Silvia Ramirez, Louis Sanchez, Anallely Saavedra, Josie Seeley, Juliette Silva, and Elizabeth Zacarias
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