Service Learning Proposal For VOX
By Kara C.
September 21st, 2010
Meredith Tweed
WST 3015-0001

Community Partner: VOX
Address: 4000 Central Florida Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32816
Contact: Cari Cruz, ccruz1017@yahoo.com
Community Partner Mission Statement: "Being pro-choice, we believe that every man and woman have the right to make choices pertaining to their own bodies. In short, every individual should have the fundamental right to manage his or her fertility. VOX supports full access to comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings that preserve and protect the essential privacy of and rights of each individual." (VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood).

Political and/or Social Basis for Organization: VOX acts as a liason between the university and the reproductive health centers and promotes safer sex practices through education and organizing events for the "advocation of public policies that gaurantee these rights and ensure access to such services" (VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood).

The Proposal
Memorandum
TO: Meredith Tweed
FROM: Kara Corallo
DATE: September 21st, 2010
RE: Proposal to Write a Feasability Report for a Service Learning Project
The following is a proposal to outline the needs, rationale and feasibility for a service learning project to benefit VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood. The following proposal contains background on the need for and benefits of a Reproductive Health Awareness Event, an outline of the work I plan to do, the rationale for its inclusion in WST 3015, and a scheduled timeline. This proposal may need to be revised after beginning the project and must be flexible to meet the needs of the both the Service Learning project and the community partner.

The Need for Increased Awareness of Reproductive Health and Rights
The contingency of reproductive health and rights for men and women both depend chiefly on raising awareness. Abstinence-only advocation has generally become a road with a dead-end sign, as the 21st century's culture laughs at the concept of abstinence. It is only realistic and preventative to raise awareness in the sense that fornication needs to be approached with the education of birth control, etc. VOX works through Planned Parenthood as a Student Organization at UCF with organized events and advocation.

Patricia P. and I plan to advertise and organize a movie night at Natura, where we will be showing the production of the film "Juno" directed by Jason Reitman, starring Ellen Paige. The movie follows the life of a quirky 16 year old girl whom has an unplanned pregnancy, although the film is meant to be a comedy - it shows emotion and physical strength it has to go through something so unexpected at such a young age. Then after the film we will have a question and answer session regarding our awareness project. After running it over with the president of VOX, Cari Cruz, we plan on making contact with Natura and booking a night for as soon as possible with them. Next, we will advertise the night by making posters and sticking them on the walls around campus. When the time comes for congregation at this unique and in-vogue cafe, we will also make it known that we are accepting donations for VOX.

VOX also brought up the idea of raising awareness regarding HPV transmission among men. This establishes the concept that Planned Parenthood is for both women AND men! As more information is given out on this awareness project, I will blog about it in more elaborate detail.

We plan on taking on both of these tasks in order to support VOX.

Rationale for Women's Studies
I believe that reproductive issues are extremely critical to third-wave feminism and how young people view sex and reproductive health at this day in age. "Researcher Heather Boonstra (2007), a policy associate at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, reviewed compelling evidence that abstinence-only programs do not stop - or even delay - teen sex"(Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 153-213). Education and awareness of contraception is more valuable and effective regardless of whether or not a person is sexually active - it is the fact that they are aware of how to protect themselves in the case that they find themselves in a sexual situation with a partner. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy of all industrialized countries (Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 153-213). Reproductive health and Planned Parenthood relate to women's studies tremendously from demographic studies to contraceptives and abortion clinics to sex education. These aspects of reproductive health give all women a standpoint and/or attitude on some aspect of their lives, whether they realize this or not.

Steps of Action
Patricia Parker and I will be making a reservation at Natura to host an awareness event on sexual education and reproduction health. We will be showing the movie Juno, as mentioned previously, which follows the life of a 16 year old girl who copulates with her best friend and ends up getting pregnant. We watch Juno (actress Ellen Paige) struggle with finding a good family to adopt her child and the responsibilities of an expecting mother. We agreed that Juno would be entertaining and informing enough to show because it is relevant to the topic we are raising awareness for, clearly. Immediately after the movie we will take any questions that our audience has and promote safe sex. Also, I will be giving out free condoms to anyone who needs them. If we get a decent amount of donations we will consider having another event of some sort..

Timeline
Natura event - Within the next 2-3 weeks depending on their schedule book, TBA
Up until the event - Rent Juno from Netflix, start advertising the event, buy condoms to pass out
Event to raise awareness for HPV transferred among men - TBA by VOX

Word Count: 953

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives. Fifth. New York, New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. 153-213. Print.