Two College of Charleston students are part of a delegation from South Carolina who will travel to Washington, D.C., September 8 – 12, 2011 to participate in the 11th annual Advocates for Youth Urban Retreat with students from 23 other states and six countries (South Sudan, Nepal, Namibia, Nigeria, Jamaica and Cameroon).
The Retreat will provide comprehensive training on ways to improve sexual health education and programs in the state. Specialized training will include information on grassroots and campus organizing, online advocacy, media outreach and public speaking. Activists will also conduct policymaker education visits on Capitol Hill.
College of Charleston students Maria Jackson and Emily Rogers are part of the 10-member delegation that represents the South Carolina Youth Council for Policy Change, a team of college students working on their campuses and in the field to advocate on behalf of reproductive health issues. The Council was established last year in partnership with Tell Them, a South Carolina-based organization dedicated to building an online coalition of advocates to support these issues.
“We are thrilled our Council members have been chosen to attend this retreat,” said Emma Davidson, Tell Them program manager. “They will learn important leadership skills that will ultimately shape health policies in South Carolina.”
