While I would agree with most people (and research) that a good part of the solution to the issues we face with increased teen pregnancy and STD’s is in the fate of good parenting, I also think that the school has a role to fill. Parents shouldn't be expected to know all the details about these subjects - just like they don't know about all of the details concerning any other health curriculum that they also should be teaching at home (like healthy eating).

Schools are in the business of educating students; teaching about making healthy sexual choices should be no exception. For instance, I was taught early on by my parents that if I did not wash my hands, I could possibly catch a cold. In health and sciences classes at school I learned why, and it drove home the message. The consequences in the situation we are faced with now are much more severe. If I don’t make healthy decisions, I could wind up with a disease, or even a child. Isn’t this all the more reason to teach it?

I can see much more how a student (and our society) will benefit from this education than I can by our teaching of many other minutia in our schools. In addition to the havoc unplanned pregnancies reek on the families involved, did you know they cost the taxpayer some $9.1 billion annually? It is not so much of an isolated bad decision after all; the societal consequences are enormous. Hence, we all need to work for a solution, and public education is a great way to start.

What Should be Taught

It is obvious that the school does not have to teach morals to start reversing this problem (unless, of course, you think that teaching students to eat two servings of fruit per day is teaching morals). They just need to start teaching. Getting information out on the cold, hard facts of the potential consequences of sexuality activity and how to prevent them is crucial. To not have one mandatory sex-ed course in a high school health curriculum is absurd. Some students have a very basic class in middle school at some point, but that is something that needs reinforcement and expansion in high school, the time when almost half of all teens become sexually active.

All I ask is for our schools to teach the facts. Teach how to obtain and use contraception. Teach about STD's and their consequences. And by all means, teach that the only way to be 100% safe is to not have sex at all. But the goal at the end of the day, as far as the school should be concerned, is that students don't wind up with an unwanted pregnancy or an STD, just like they care that students don't wind up over-weight or unfit. Why some think that it should matter to a board of education, a school administration, or a health teacher whether or not Mary Loo is actually having sex is beyond me (that’s where “abstinence only” brings us).

If education only consists of "don't have sex because that's the only 100% way to stay safe" (rather than abstinence is an option, and there exist others) than I expect the school to use the same logic in a drivers-ed course. "The only way to stay 100% safe is never leave your house." See how far that mentality gets us. But I digress.

Going Forward

It seems that the school has already recognized that more education is needed. (Why it took an independent local agency to get our school to that point is troubling, though.) It also seems we will eventually have some sort of sex-ed curriculum in the high school. Just how effective it will be, however, depends on just how practical and honest we want to get with teens about reality– realities that are evident to the vast majority of young adults.

Post by Nick Troiano, PCYC Executive Director

The following is a statement from the Pike County Youth Coalition pertaining to the Delaware Valley School District’s letter to parents dated 6/15/08 about the rise of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).

“The increased rate of STI’s and teen pregnancy in the DVSD, while alarming, indicates what most students already were familiar with as the lack, and even complete absence, of early and effective sex education. It is our belief that this problem is also facilitated, if not caused, by societal factors, such as the local dearth of alternative enjoyable youth activities and the increasingly widespread acceptance of teenage sexual activity, especially in the mainstream media.

While it can be easy to dismiss such recent statistics as being in tune with that of other school districts, locally and nationally, we must work together to reverse them through the proactive engagement of young teenagers in the school district. Unplanned teen pregnancies and the spread of STI’s can be reduced through hands-on and targeted education, including outlets for teens to talk with professionals about things they are not otherwise comfortable talking about with their parents.

It is important to note that, according to national statistics, teenagers are just as disapproving about their peers engaging in irresponsible sexual activity as their older counterparts. What needs to change is the perception among young people that the opposite holds true–that “everyone is doing it” and that is it OK to overlook the potential consequences for sexual activity.

It is crucially important that the public discourse about the rise of teen pregnancy not deteriorate to one solely focused on a debate between contraceptives or abstinence. The reality is that about half of all high school students will engage in sexual intercourse, and there is no single and absolute way of going about solving problems that may occur as a result. Teens also must be part of the solution by engaging their peers in productive activities and encouraging positive behavior, in addition to being part of the process of curriculum development.

The most important influence to a teenager concerning his or her sexual activity, according to research, stems from parental guidance. But the community as a whole must work to support that guidance, through providing, among other things, enjoyable youth recreation and honest and practical education.”

Contact: Kaitlin Paul, PCYC Spokesperson press@pikeyouth.org 845.741.2754

The Pike County Youth Coalition is a non-profit youth advocacy organization operated by young people under 24 years old. On the web, www.pikeyouth.org.

Our public unveiling and fundraiser dinner went over wonderfully on Sunday evening. We had about forty guests, including Representative John Siptroth, Congressional candidate Chris Hackett, school board members, and various other local officials and business owners attend.

Our ten volunteers did a great job of serving the delicious three-course meal prepared by 16 year-old Chef Brandon. And we heard nothing but great things about the DVHS orchestra quartet and members of the jazz band that gave performances throughout the night. Our dinner programs and organization overview packets, as well as little decorative PCYC flowerpots, adorned the tables are were a hit with the audience.

All in all, we raised about $1,600 with the dinner, and the feedback and pledges of future support made the whole event worthwhile. It was a great start to our projects we will begin working on this week at our meeting on Thursday.

Thanks to all who helped out and attended! Be sure to check out this week's Dispatch for a letter to editor from Milford Borough President Matt Osterberg about his thoughts about the dinner.

Post by Nick Troiano Our public unveiling and fundraiser dinner went over wonderfully on Sunday evening. We had about forty guests, including Representative John Siptroth, Congressional candidate Chris Hackett, school board members, and various other local officials and business owners attend.

Our ten volunteers did a great job of serving the delicious three-course meal prepared by 16 year-old Chef Brandon. And we heard nothing but great things about the DVHS orchestra quartet and members of the jazz band that gave performances throughout the night. Our dinner programs and organization overview packets, as well as little decorative PCYC flowerpots, adorned the tables are were a hit with the audience.

All in all, we raised about $1,600 with the dinner, and the feedback and pledges of future support made the whole event worthwhile. It was a great start to our projects we will begin working on this week at our meeting on Thursday.

Thanks to all who helped out and attended! Be sure to check out this week's Dispatch for a letter to editor from Milford Borough President Matt Osterberg about his thoughts about the dinner.



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Most of us college kids are home working for the summer - presumably working to make a dent in our students loans. No wonder, the national student debt is over 475 TRILLION dollars...and growing everyday.

This is one of the largest issues,if not the largest, facing our generation. We have students not even able to get some form of higher education because of college costs, or fully take advantage of it. And in the larger picture, even for those who do, leaving college with massive loans that keep us out of certain jobs crucial to society, in both the private and public sector.

I was reading last week an article on pocononews.net talking about a PA Congressman (Congressman Paul Kanjorski) writing the Departments of Education and Treasurer to act on a bill passed by the House to help aid the soaring costs of a college education. This made me wonder what our elected officials in Pike County were doing.

I looked at web sites of our incumbent Congressman Chris Carney and his challenger this fall, Chris Hackett, to see what their plans were. What do you know - nothing to be found. Both of them write about education reform in depth, but neither touches on college affordability. I can read more about their positions on the Second Amendment than I can about how they want to increase federal student loan aid or expand higher education opportunity to more Americans; I find that to be a bit out of touch with young people.

I suggest we let them know this, ask for their plans, and make this an issue for the November campaign. The Pike County Youth Coalition will inquire and post their responses.

You can contact both candidates here: Chris Carney and Chris Hackett.

Post by Nick Troiano, Executive Director

PCYC stuck to its roots and visited DDES elementary school today. We had an ice cream party for the students of Mrs. Mary Morrison’s fifth grade class who drew invitation reminders for the upcoming dinner. While we were there we also set up a sort of focus group with the kids to discuss various important issues that these fifth graders had some steep opinions on.

They want more after school programs. The Dingman-Delaware School is lacking in any activities for students after school because no transportation is offered. Such clubs as an art, gardening, dancing, and photography club were mentioned to keep kids out of trouble and in self-rewarding opportunities – it will also form good habits for entering middle school and beyond.

The class was proud to elaborate on how they have helped not only the community, but the country during this past year. They were actively involved in the Wounded Warrior organization, sending thanks, wishes, letters, and even money to injured soldiers from the war in Iraq. They also spoke of sending car packages to current serving soldiers. These kids were very happy about their accomplishments and were excited to brainstorm more charitable things to do next year.

Reasons for volunteering include, “it feels good,” and “it’s interesting to see how people react to kindness.” There are certainly young, bright minds that need to have more of a say in our community lying right under our noses. All they need is a little bit of motivation and guidance – something teachers like Mrs. Morrison are providing, and something the PCYC wants to help with.

It was so refreshing to see young kids so excited about volunteering, and we're looking forward to working to provide more opportunities for young people of all ages to do so. Today only strengthened the PCYC’s cause, showing that there is plenty of room for this organization and plenty of room to make a difference.

Post by Sam Dutkus, Chairlady PCYC



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