SPEAK UP! – APPCNC’s Communities of Change Project is a grassroots initiative made possible by The Public Welfare Foundation. Because of the tremendous social and economic consequences of pregnancies and STI/HIV among youth and because, as a result of the controversy about strategies to prevent teen pregnancy and promote healthy adolescent reproductive health, communities often ignore the issue unless there is an organized effort to educate the public and build support for programs that help provide teens the education with which to make responsible decisions. This initiative is aimed at expanding those local efforts to raise community awareness, build advocacy efforts, and involve teens in finding the solutions that will best serve their unique needs.

This initiative includes providing financial and technical support to 11 community organizations this calendar year (2007). The chosen communities demonstrated need and strong plans for expanding the work to improve adolescent reproductive health. This initiative is also about networking these ideas and efforts so that North Carolina communities begin to speak with one voice to the decision makers that ultimately decide on the important funding and educational policies that impact our youth.

This project began in 2001 and has helped promote advocacy and awareness on the issues that most effect North Carolina youth. One of the major components of this initiative was the start of ADOLESCENT HEALTH ADVOCACY DAY (AHAD) which in the odd years of the general assembly, convenes over 200 youth participants and adult supporters to the legislative building – to make recommendations to the legislators on issues that directly impact youth. Communities are encouraged to follow-up with face-to-face meetings with legislators, county commissioners, school board members etc - from their district.