By: Xin Lee

TEEN PREGNANCY IN HISPANIC POPULATION IN MERCED: IMPLEMENTING SERVICE LEARNING

How common is teen pregnancy among Hispanic teens?• According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hispanic teens experienced 209,000 births in California.

• The CDC states that teens of color (especially Hispanic teens) are more than twice as likely to give birth as white teens.

• There is no single cause of teen pregnancy in the Hispanic population. There are many factors.

• The rate of teen births cannot stop 100%; it can, however, be reduced

• A study conducted by the CDC found that for 1,000 women, 126.6 Hispanic women were pregnant as teens (15-19).

So what?• If the rate of teen parenthood continues to increase, about 2 to 3 children will be born to Hispanic teens in

Merced, according to Paula Diaz of Planned Parenthood Merced.

• The increase in the rate of teen pregnancy can negatively impact our community.

• Millions of dollars is spent federally to fund supplemental nutrition assistance programs such as WIC and more.

• According to the National Conference of State Legislature, only 38% of teen mothers complete high school.

What can we do? • Teen birth rates needs to decrease.

• There is no single method to completely eliminate teen pregnancy (other than practicing abstinence).

• My proposal is only going to be a comprehensive solution to this local issue.

Youth development programs• There are many kinds of youth development programs.

• Youth development programs helps to promote:

• High academic success

• Provides support

• Encourages the youth to be actively involved in their community

• Assists students to find their strengths and weaknesses in school

Service learning program • Instruction is integrated with community service

• A new way of learning

• Hands-on experience that is unlike learning inside classrooms

Proposal • Service learning programs should be expanded and funding needs to be increased in Merced.

• Merced College and UC Merced students should serve as mentors and participate in service learning programs

Benefits of service learning • Students working with college students from Merced College and UC Merced will inspire teens to pursue

their education

• Students will find college students to be more relatable compared to working with adults

• Diverts students from their desire to engage in sexual activities because they are occupied with participating in engaging community service and learning

• College students can also inform teens about the consequences of becoming a teen mother

• Students will have someone more age-appropriate to talk to

Incentive • Scholarships should be awarded for those who attend all service learning projects

• Students will be entered in a drawing

• These scholarships will motivate students to be involved in their community

• Awarding scholarships will encourage students to pursue their college education

Funding • Service learning programs could apply for grants

• Building Healthy Communities (BHC)

• Offers community grants here in Merced

• Multiple cycles of grants which increases the chances of being awarded one

• Summer “mini grant”

• Merced has an advantage

Conclusion • Service learning programs should be amplified in Merced. Funding should increase for this youth

development program.

• Although teen pregnancy cannot be eliminated entirely, teen birth rates can decrease.

Benefits:

• Motivates and inspires Hispanic teens to focus and to succeed in school

• Having teens actively volunteering in their community will divert their desire to engage sexual activity

• Establishes long lasting relationships with their mentors

• Teens will receive insightful advice from their mentors

• Prevents misinformation, therefore decreasing teens’ chance of getting pregnant or of getting someone pregnant