For the activism portion of my 30 Day Project, I focused on raising awareness about teen pregnancy and parenting, particularly at school. The goal of my project was to help people better understand the realities and challenges teen parents face, and to encourage more empathy, awareness, and support rather than judgment or misinformation. I wanted to approach this in more than one way so that the message could reach people both casually and in a more intentional learning environment. Because of that, I used two main methods: informational posters placed around campus and a structured presentation and discussion with students.

One part of my project involved creating around ten digital posters that I printed and hung up all around campus in different high-traffic areas. I placed them where students would naturally walk by during the school day so the information could reach a wide audience without requiring them to attend something formal. The posters included important statistics and facts about teen pregnancy and parenting, such as “3 in 10 American teenagers get pregnant at least once before they turn 20,” and “there are over 750,000 teen pregnancies in the U.S. every year.” I also included a statistic showing that 53% of 8th graders do not know whether they have a family member or friend who is or was a teen parent, which I gathered through a short form I created and had students fill out. This helped highlight how common yet often hidden this topic is among students my age. The purpose of these posters was not just to share facts, but to challenge assumptions and encourage people to think more deeply about teen parenting as a real social issue. One meaningful outcome of this part of my project was that an 8th grade student mentioned that the poster taught her a lot about teen parenting and actually changed the way she viewed teen parents, which showed that even brief exposure to information can have an impact on perspective.

Another major part of my activism project was leading a 30-minute presentation and discussion in a classroom with over 20 participants. During this session, I used a slide presentation to guide the conversation and explain key information about teen parenting in a more detailed and structured way. I started by defining teen parenting as becoming a parent between the ages of 13 and 19 and explained why this topic matters in relation to education, mental health, and future opportunities. I then discussed common challenges teen parents face, such as balancing school responsibilities with childcare, including attending classes, completing homework, and caring for a baby, all of which can create significant stress and time pressure. I also shared statistics about teen birth rates in the United States, including that about 1 in 25 births are to teen mothers ages 15–19, and explained how teen birth rates have decreased over the past 20 years due to improved access to education and contraception. Another key point I covered was how comprehensive sex education is linked to lower teen pregnancy rates because it helps teens make informed and responsible decisions. I also discussed outcomes for teen parents, including that about 60–65% of teen mothers graduate high school by age 22, showing that while challenges exist, success is still possible with support systems in place. Additionally, I addressed misconceptions, such as the idea that most teen fathers remain highly involved long-term, explaining that involvement can vary widely depending on circumstances. To make the session more engaging, I included a Kahoot at the end, which helped reinforce the information in a more interactive way and kept participants involved. Overall, this presentation allowed for deeper discussion and gave people the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on what they learned. Together, both the posters and the meeting helped spread awareness about teen parenting in different ways, combining broad visibility with deeper education, and ultimately helped encourage more understanding of an often misunderstood topic.