The Texas Campaign is proud of the way we have embraced the cultural shift to be an organization of empowerment with a renewed focus on youth perspective and lived experiences. Our annual fundraiser, Cheers! 2021 featured a segment with video interviews of people impacted by teen pregnancy and/or working in the field, called Sips & Stories. The interviews were conducted by our Development Director, Julia Kranzthor.
Meet Our Storytellers
The Texas Campaign is delighted to release Sips & Stories, a segment that truly embodies our approach of incorporating storytelling and lived experiences in our work. This first of three short parts introduces them and their stories. We will hear from Jackson, Sophia, and our very own J.R. – who joined the staff of the Texas Campaign earlier this year and leads both our Texas is Ready campaign to implement sex education and the Texas Youth Friendly Initiative.
Their Challenges
Our storytellers are brave to open themselves up, and we are grateful that they are willing to share their stories. In the following part of Sips & Stories, our storytellers will share challenges they have encountered – challenges that are unique to their experiences, but also reflect commonalities experienced by others in the same situations. Jackson, J.R., and Sophia have met their challenges with a ray of hope and a sense of pride.
Their Hopes, Dreams, & Goals
In this last part of Sips & Stories, we want to amplify our storyteller’s voices as a positive reminder that we as a society have a shared responsibility to provide the education and resources to our youth so that they have agency over their own decision-making. It is possible to do that from a lens of empowerment to best support those who are already parenting. Our storyteller’s experiences, and ones like them, help us as an organization to understand the best way to support young Texans and set them up for success.
Click here to watch the full, Cheers! 2021 recording. Do not miss out on Cheers! 2022 by signing up for our updates in our “Stay Connected” located at the bottom of our website. If you have any questions about Cheers!, email Julia at Julia@txcampaign.org.
We have intentionally focused on the storytelling element of our work over the last year. You can read other storytelling spotlights on our website each month. If you are interested in sharing your story, email Alondra at Alondra@txcampaign.org or fill out this form.
