Women's Issues

League of Women Voters^®
of Boulder County

Focus of the Women's Issues Committee

Since the spring of 2008, we have been working to help pregnant teens and teen parents graduate from high school in the St. Vrain Valley School District. Using the typical League approach, we studied, we worked with the school district, and we helped to build a coalition around the issue.
A task force consisting of the St. Vrain Valley School district and 13 agencies and organizations was formed in 2009: the St. Vrain Valley Community Task Force to Increase the Graduation of Teen Parents.
A member of the Women's Issues Committee represents our League on the Task Force, as we work together to find ways the schools and community can encourage pregnant and parenting teens to stay in school or return if they had previously dropped out.
The Task Force developed a questionnaire (in English and Spanish) to find out from these teens what would help them complete their education. LWV Colorado provided funding for the evaluation of the survey.
Like all League Issue Committees, we welcome any member to participate, and you don't have to be an expert to join us and help out. Contact Chair Women's Issues Committee
The Women's Issues Committee does not currently have regular meetings. Efforts are focused on the work of the Task Force.

More Information

Parenthood is the leading cause of school dropouts among teen girls. Education is an important factor in career success. For a teen mother it is often the determining factor between poverty and a life of independently supporting a family. Nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers will end up on welfare. One of the most critical strategies toward self-sufficiency is ensuring that our teen moms receive an education.
In the St. Vrain Valley School District, approximately 50 babies are born to school age moms each year, but there is space for only 16 of these young women in the SVVSD Teen Parent Program, room for only 10 babies in the program's licensed child care, and attendance is only for one school year. How do these students manage to stay in school? Most don't.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: May 11, 2012 11:06 PDT.