How’s Work Going at Teen emPower?
Author: Lillian Bocquin, Teen emPower! Health Educator
It all starts with a simple question that most people have asked or have been asked at some point in their life: How’s work going?
Good. Fine. Alright. My boss is a real- we get the picture. Work isn’t always what we want to talk about. Unfortunately, this is because most people don’t get to work for an organization directly impacting lives today and the community of the future.
What if instead, we answered it like this:
Work is amazing. It hardly feels like work half the time because I get to spend every day doing what I love: teaching kids about some of the most meaningful decisions they will ever make.
Work is always fun for a sexual health educator. It’s amazing that many people grow up not learning about their bodies, but I’m happy that we get to be a part of a movement changing that.
Work was especially exciting today since we brought on yet another team member. Teen emPower! was started by a single, brave leader nearly 20 years ago, and now we’ve got a whole organization of educators, students, volunteers and administrators. The growth has been outstanding and incredible to witness.
Thankfully, these are the wins that we have celebrated at Teen emPower! over the last several years. Growing from one woman to a team of 11. Redefining our mission statement and values to reflect our efforts and intent more concretely. And even redesigning our website to provide an exciting and polished description of our programs and resources.
Our mission is to empower, educate, and motivate adolescents to make informed decisions for their sexual health.
We have been working tirelessly over the first year and a half of Project REACH to expand quality school-based sexual health education and lower the teen birth rates in Oklahoma County. While tackling any unexpected circumstances to the best of our ability. Reaching students during the start of the pandemic proved to be difficult, but not impossible for our flexible and resourceful team. As we developed and adjusted to virtual education options, there was hope of returning to the classroom as early as March of 2021. Our goals for Year two of Project REACH include teaching 3,250 students from six schools within three districts.
Our leadership set these lofty goals not only because we know our team can achieve them, but because our youth deserve this education. Comprehensive sexual health education makes a difference in the current lives of students, but many people don’t recognize the long-term impacts. When we teach young people how to consider their future, communicate in relationships, respond to pressure, and understand the possible outcomes of their decisions, we set youth up for success in all aspects of life.
So if you must ask us, “How is work going?,” well, it’s great! Because we are Teen emPower! Inc., and we are helping young people make healthy life choices.