Alanajevert is a fashion and design instructor, and freelance stylist living in Portland, Oregon.
Great idea, but I know from experience it can be more work having an “aide” or “assistant” if they depend on you to explain everything and direct their every movement. ”Teacher partner” training would have to be worked in, kind of like a mini-student teaching stint. Then, have the “teacher partner” attend staff meetings in the teacher’s place, and it’s even more genius!
The underlying issue here is education. Organizations such as CPCs target women who are under-educated, come from poverty, and see few opportunities in their life. This lack of sense of personal power perpetuates an endless cycle of generational poverty. As an educator of teen parents, I see this first hand. Research has shown that sex-education, or lack there of, has little effect on whether a young girl gets pregnant or not; its lack of income and opportunity. If society wants to change this, we need to be pro-active, not reactive, and provide support to teens who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, in the form of increased opportunity for further education, employment, and good old fashioned self esteem building.