City of Alexandria, Virginia
Office of the City Manager
Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street, Suite 3500
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211
www.alexandriava.gov
Telephone: 703.838.4300
Fax : 703.838.6343

MEDIA ADVISORY


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 24, 2001
CONTACT: LORI GODWIN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER (703) 838 - 4300

LAST YEAR, EVERY 33 HOURS ANOTHER ALEXANDRIA TEEN GOT PREGNANT
Mayor, Vice Mayor and other leaders to
launch teen pregnancy prevention campaign on April 30

Next week, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) will unveil its new advertising and media campaign to promote public awareness about teen pregnancy prevention. Mayor Kerry J. Donley, Vice Mayor William Cleveland, and other concerned leaders, parents and young people will be on hand on Monday, April 30, at 12 noon, at Center Court of Landmark Mall (5801 Duke Street), to discuss the cutting edge ads and the need to effectively target the problem of teen pregnancy in Alexandria.

Despite recent declines in the rate of pregnancies among adolescents nationally as well as locally, the city continues to have one of the highest rates in Northern Virginia. An adolescent in Alexandria is twice as likely to become pregnant as her peer in either Arlington or Loudoun Counties, and more than three times as likely to become pregnant as an adolescent in Fairfax County. Compared to other jurisdictions in the State, Alexandria’s rate of teen pregnancy is among the top 25 (ranked 21 out of 135 cities and counties).

The concern about the high rate of teen pregnancy, combined with the national teen pregnancy prevention movement to promote informed, responsible dialog with children about sex, forms the Coalition’s signature slogan for this campaign: "Last year, every 33 hours another Alexandria teen got pregnant. Let’s talk with our kids." The campaign centers around the importance of communication between parents and their children, and the need to instill a community-wide responsibility for ensuring the success of all Alexandria youth. "Our community needs to become involved with our teens to ensure our young people are equipped to make responsible decisions," said Mayor Kerry Donley.

Monday’s event kicks off a year-long multimedia campaign throughout the community, commencing with a media blitz in May. Ads will appear on television, at Hoyt’s Cinema in Potomac Yard, and on City buses (Metro and DASH). The Alexandria Youth Council Step Team, a youth advocacy group that has developed a performance including stepping and drama to help raise community awareness on the issue of teen pregnancy will also be featured at the event.

Teen involvement in preparing this community awareness and education campaign has been vital. Youth have been involved in focus groups to select the ads, and in February, the Alexandria Youth Council and T.C. Williams marketing students took part in brainstorming sessions to create slogans that would have the most impact on teens in Alexandria. Promotional giveaway items for young people that have been imprinted with selected slogans from these efforts will be distributed at youth events to be held in May and throughout the next several months.

The campaign launch coincides with National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, and ACAP will be involved in a series of educational and community awareness efforts, including a special effort in partnership with the faith community at worship services to be held on or around Mother’s Day. "Teen pregnancy rates drop when teens are connected to the community, and this campaign is designed to help our community become more involved in the success of our youth," said Vice Mayor William Cleveland.

Additional efforts of the year-long campaign include outreach to the Hispanic community. Materials are under development for placement in Spanish-language newspapers that will include specific Spanish-language tips for Hispanic parents to help them discuss sex and pregnancy with their children. "I am very pleased that the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy is working closely with the Hispanic community, and I am proud to be working on this project," said Conrado Aguilar, president of the Tenants and Workers Support Committee.

ACAP is a coalition of interested citizens, elected officials, teens, parents, City and public agencies, and community groups committed to encouraging healthy, responsible decisions among youth, and raising public about teen pregnancy prevention. ACAP believes that teen pregnancy derails the future potential of the teen, the child of the teen, and the Alexandria community.

Special note to media: Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the event. Please contact Lori Godwin at (703) 838-4300 to confirm attendance. Refreshments will be provided.

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