Symposium Goals/Objectives:

The Texas Campaign’s Symposium provides a unique forum for bi -directional communication between issue experts and on-the-ground professionals regarding evidence-based information and research. A key goal of this event is to inform and educate participants while also influencing them to lead change within their local communities. The objectives are:

• To provide the latest information on teen pregnancy and adolescent development that is appropriate for the diverse knowledge base and skills of participants;
• To increase participant knowledge regarding culturally sensitive, health-related research and evidence-based interventions focused on racial/ethnic minorities and rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged and medically underserved adolescents living in Texas;
• To provide best practices for promoting adolescent and child health, youth friendly services and trauma informed care and to explore innovative programs of each;
• To develop a critical and practical understanding of factors that lead to challenges and successes in collaborative teen pregnancy prevention efforts in Texas;
• To engage, inspire, innovate and advocate – in partnership with communities and all stakeholders –working towards the end of teen pregnancy through prevention measures and comprehensive care and treatment for all youth;
• To raise awareness that progress in responding to the teen pregnancy epidemic is being achieved at different speeds – in many parts of the State, great advances have been made while in many others, rates continue to rise.