i've been researching some of the agencies that were recommended to me and have honestly been unable to find an agency that does anything close to what i want to do. the non-profits i've researched have such far-reaching programs that teen pregnancy prevention is one small program of their 10 larger programs.....which means there is a need and an opportunity for what i want to do, but it also means that i will have to do a bit more groundwork. i emailed a couple of women today who work in the teen pregnancy prevention field in austin (one is a filmmaker and one runs prevention programs), and i have already set up a meeting with one of them for later this week....woo hoo!
after talking with a friend yesterday, i realized that i need to become more organized in my vision. she recommended that i write a proposal that outlines exactly what i want to do and how i want to do it. good advice! i have tons of ideas and materials from other statewide TPP (teen pregnancy prevention) non-profits that i can pull together to develop a proposal. i also am trying to think bigger. maybe i don't need to start a non-profit...maybe i work on a documentary about teen pregnancy in texas. or maybe i create an educational workshop series on teen pregnancy prevention. because the non-profit i wanted to create already exists (yet has no paid staff), i think i need to think differently and outside of the box to approach teen pregnancy prevention in a fresh way (or just convince them to hire me after i write a grant to pay for my own salary...hehe).
i'm starting to realize the barriers that i will face. i fear the conservative environment in texas might be an unbreachable barrier. i'm just not sure that policy analysis and advocacy will be effective....abstinence-only education and policy have such a stronghold in texas. i mean, planned parenthood's teen pregnancy prevention funding just got cut again, which means more money for faith-based, abstinence programs. not that i'm not hopeful that i could change the texas mindset and educational system (i'm up for a challenge!), but i also want to be realistic in my planning. a creative approach might be my only option. this is such a learning process....even massachusetts faced difficulties in getting political support for comprehensive sex ed, and that's massachusetts!!! liberal country...what the heck am i supposed to do in texas?? i will need an alliance of organizations all devoted to the cause to mobilize larger numbers of people. i need to start a movement!! okay, i think i'm getting ahead of myself now. back to reality and what i can accomplish this week.
my goals for this week are:
- to set up 3 meetings with people in the teen pregnancy prevention field in austin
- to write a proposal that summarizes my interests and vision for my non-profit venture
man, this is exciting!! i can't wait to see where God takes this and am so thankful that He is stirring all of this in me!!
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