[Archived] From Books to Bottles: Exhibit Captures Responsibilities, Consequences of Teen Pregnancy

May 9, 2008      

From Books to Bottles: Exhibit Captures
Responsibilities, Consequences of Teen Pregnancy

Stories and photos representing the struggles and experiences of teen parents in Alexandria are the focus of a new exhibit, From Books to Bottles, produced by the Alexandria Youth Council (AYC), in partnership with the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria City Public Schools. In recognition of May, National Teen Pregnancy Month, members of the AYC will present images from the exhibit at the Alexandria City Council legislative meeting on Tuesday, May 13. The full exhibit will be showcased at a reception on Tuesday, May 20, in the Vola Lawson Lobby of Alexandria City Hall, 301 King St., at 6:15 p.m. This event and the exhibit, which will be on display through May 23, is free and open to the public.

The City of Alexandria, until recently, has had the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the Northern Virginia area. The City’s teen pregnancy rate dropped 17.9% between 2005 and 2006. However, more work is needed to reduce the rate and ensure a continuing downward trend.

For this project, sponsors brought in Critical Exposure, a Washington, D.C.- based non-profit organization that works with youth by developing their skills as documentary photographers and encouraging them to use their images and their voices to inform the public about important youth issues. For three months, members of the Alexandria Youth Council, armed with cameras and digital recorders, visited local teen parents, taking photographs and collecting their stories in hopes of raising awareness about teen pregnancy

From Books to Bottles is one of many events for youth, parents, and the community sponsored by ACAP during National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. The events include the play Avoiding Plan B, presented by City at Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based youth performance group on Saturday, May 17, at Cora Kelly Recreation Center, 25 W. Reed Ave., at 6 p.m. Admission to the play is free.

Avoiding Plan B explores the lives and relationships of a group of teenagers as they approach high school graduation and deal with the perceptions and implications of sex in their lives.
For more information about these events, or about National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, visit www.alexgetreal.com or call 703.684.ACAP.

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