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Preventing teen pregnancy is focus of conference
Roberta Knowlton (above), director of School Based Programs for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and Maureen Spittlehouse, program development specialist for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, present a session on “The Power of Adult Collaboration in the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy: Lessons Learned in New Jersey” during the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference. Photos by Dick Ackley—Penn State Image Resource Center	Two hundred educators, social services providers, health care professionals, counselors, legislators, school administrators, researchers, clergy and others committed to preventing teen pregnancies met at Penn State to exchange ideas about this critical public health issue.   The College of Health and Human Development planned the intensive two-day Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference in collaboration with the Division of Continuing Education’s Outreach Program Development unit. Sponsors were the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Participants came from throughout the United States. One participant traveled to the conference from Singapore.   Four national experts presented keynote addresses: Dr. Lee Lee Doyle, associate dean for continuing medical education and faculty development and founder and director of Teens Obstetrical Perinatal Parenting Services at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine, spoke on “Developing Personal Values: Why We Feel the Way We Do”; James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth in Washington, D.C., discussed “Public Support for Sexuality Education”; Sally J. Sacher, deputy director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in Washington, D.C., gave “An Update from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Partnerships in Teen Pregnancy Prevention: A Puzzle of Interlocking Pieces”; and Tom Klaus, president of Legacy Resource Group in Carlisle, Iowa, made a presentation on “Hey Baby! Adults Dating Teens: What’s a Professional to Do?”   Other professionals presented sessions for one of five program tracks: improving program development, impacting public policy, working with diverse communities, building community support for adolescent pregnancy prevention, and abstinence-related programming.   The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference provided a forum for participants to exchange ideas and discuss the latest facts, statistics and resources for preventing teen pregnancy. The conference also included information about successful teen pregnancy prevention strategies, interventions and initiatives. Participants had the option of earning Continuing Education Units. An outreach program of the College of Health and Human Development
	Dr. Lee Lee Doyle, associate dean for continuing medical education and faculty development and founder and director of Teens Obstetrical Perinatal Parenting Services at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine, gives the opening keynote address on “Developing Personal Values: Why We Feel the Way We Do” for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference. Wendy Roberts-Johnson, director of research, Data Collection and Evaluation, To Our Children’s Future With Health Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., discusses “An Abstinence Curriculum: Creative Approaches, Implementation Strategies and Evaluation” during the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference.