Youth Empowering Choices Over Ignorance

Youth Empowering Choices Over Ignorance is a campus, community, state, and federal campaign with a shared goal of teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education in K-12 schools. This campaign has a specific long-term goal of passing the REAL Act (H.R.1653/S.972), and ending federal funding for Abstinence Only Programs. Our short-term goals include publishing 5 letters to the editor, 3 op-ed's, and collecting over 1000 signatures endorsing the REAL Act by December 14, 2007. The purpose of these short term goals is to gain support for our cause, thereby influencing policy makers. This will allow us to reach our intermediate goals of convincing at least 2 members of Congress to co-sponsor the REAL Act. Goals we have already accomplished include lobbying 25 different Representatives and Senators, establishing a campus coalition of 7 different student groups, and holding bi-weekly meetings. Our tactics include letters to the editor, op ed's, petition circulation, dissemination of information (pamphlets, emails, online social networking, listservs, advertising), advocacy letters, and lobbying at a local, state, and federal level.