Every Tuesday I go to Planned Parenthood. The building is stereotypically known as a hotspot for anti-abortion protestors and something not to bring up at Thanksgiving dinner. However, I’m not getting weekly abortions, nor STD check ups, or anything to do with my physical sexual health.
Every week, I meet up with a group of like-minded teenagers fighting for sexual health rights in Louisville. Through Planned Parenthood, this group, called Teen Council, gives teenagers an outlet to go out and do what they’re passionate about, oftentimes opportunities not usually granted to them until adulthood.
When I joined the group this fall, I assumed the other teenagers joined for the same reason I did – to advocate for my personal beliefs in choice. Teen Council coordinates opportunities for teens to fight for what they believe in, and as a strong believer in rights for choice of parenthood, Teen Council seemed like the perfect place for me. The administrators of the Council set up a Lobby Day where young members can meet with elected officials and bring forth their personal perspectives with people of power, presenting a rare opportunity for teens to meet face to face and bring a younger generation’s concerns to light.
Surprising to me, but typical to the group –– almost every member of the Council has a different reason on why they love and joined the board.
“I joined Teen Council because I believe sex education is important to improving Louisville,” Jude Mayfield (16), an Atherton High School junior and first year member of the council, said.
Teen Council partners with Louisville’s consenting schools to teach peer-led sex education. Commonly at J. Graham Brown School, Louisville Collegiate School, and multiple after school programs – Teen Council members, usually as a duo, go into classrooms and teach about our reproductive systems. The teen instructors use a combination of anatomy lessons, information on different forms of birth control and taking and answering questions high school students may have about sex throughout the lessons.
“My sophomore and beginning of my junior year I taught sex ed in the health education classes at duPont Manual,” Anthony Northington (17), a senior at duPont Manual High School and third year member of the council, said.
“It was a wonderful experience, seeing the kids’ faces light up as we taught them the importance of sexual health and making sure you are always aware of what you’re doing in the moment. It was just a great experience to be able to lead that onto the next generation of individuals.”
Cameron Keifer (17), a junior at Louisville Collegiate School, had the opportunity to experience this sex-ed course her freshman year.
“I felt the classroom environment was very safe and casual, which made it easier to learn and talk to the teacher,” Keifer said.
Teen Council is something I look forward to every week — the people, cause, and spending time away from the routine of life on something I’m passionate about will never not be enjoyable.
“I joined Teen Council because I was looking for a way to help build the community and Teen Council was a perfect way to get introduced to other teens and empower other teens our age,” Delilah Calderon (16), a junior at Ballard High School and second year member of the council, said.
The group has their weekly meetings to come and learn together – from each other and adults – but there’s more places of community found within the teens. Starting off the season in the fall with an overnight weekend retreat builds the basis of friendship throughout the group. The Kentucky Council often goes with the Indiana-based Teen Council due to the proximity to one another, aiding in collaboration for later projects between the two groups of passionate teens. Then, throughout the year there are many projects done between small groups, only growing personal connections.
I’m a relatively new member of the group, many members of the council having two or three years under their belts. I was nervous that I’d feel socially outcast – making new friends anywhere is a cause for distress for me. However, through the recent fall retreat I found myself making countless new friends and strengthening bonds with those I already knew through the sexual education workshops, free time swimming at the lake, and late at night in our cabins chatting about commonalities with my bunkmates.
Although the season just started, Planned Parenthood and Teen Council are always looking for new membership — from employees to Council members, which opens up applications in the spring. Many Teen Council members maintain jobs at Planned Parenthood from the group well into adulthood, while others simply keep ties to the nonprofit.
Connecting with like-minded people, especially as a high schooler, can be a building block for the rest of life. Connecting with people of all viewpoints and backgrounds – and, more importantly, learning from them – is essential to development and growth. Louisville is swarming with groups that can aid in helping people feel as if they belong. Teen Council is one of many, and a great one at that!
