Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Institute at Holy Cross College Despite Opposition

Boston, MA—The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy will host its annual Teen Pregnancy Institute on October 24, 2007 from 8:00 am to 4 p.m. at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Although the Alliance has hosted the Institute at Holy Cross College since 2001, this time the conference has generated opposition.

“The Alliance is proud of our long history convening diverse stakeholders to find common ground in support of Massachusetts youth and young parents,” says Lydia Watts, executive director at the Alliance. “We did not court controversy in planning our conference at Holy Cross, and we hope to keep the focus on our core belief that young people can make responsible decisions when we provide support and guidance that demonstrates respect for their rights and capabilities. Young people suffer when adults cannot overcome differences and work together to support their health and safety.”

Despite the opposition, Father Michael C. McFarland, the President of Holy Cross, will honor the contract with the Alliance, making clear that this contract in no way signals an endorsement of the organization or conference. The Alliance is pleased that this opportunity to share information and build networks in support of young people will not be thwarted.

This year’s Institute is titled Messages that Matter: Strengthening Prevention and Supporting Young Families and features as the keynote speaker Dr. Doug Kirby, an internationally renowned researcher and writer on effective and proven ways to reduce teen pregnancy rates. In addition, 30 workshops will be presented on a range of topics related to preventing teen pregnancy and supporting young parents. For more information about the Institute, a conference brochure can be found at http://www.massteenpregnancy.org.

The Alliance is eager to bring together from across the Commonwealth professionals who work with young people to learn from each other, hone skills and share best practices in the arenas of preventing teen pregnancy and supporting pregnant and parenting teens.