Service Learning Proposal for VOX
By: Stephanie Rosales
September 28, 2011
Meredith Tweed
WST 3015-0002
Contact:
Title of Proposal: Service Learning for VOX
Community Partner: VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Group members: Shandi S. Emily S. Stephanie R. Stephanie E.
Date of Submission: September 28, 2011
Meredith Tweed
WST 3015-0002
Community Partner Profile:
Name: VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Facebook: VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood - UCF Chapter
Mission and Goals: The mission of VOX is to" to educate the university community about reproductive health and rights, translate this increased awareness into pro-choice activism on campus, and to serve as a coalition partner to state, national, and international reproductive rights" (<http://www.voxucf.org/index.html>). VOX works closely with the Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando. "PPGO’s mission is to provide affordable, quality healthcare and relevant information in support of every person’s right to make voluntary, informed decisions about family planning, healthcare and responsible sexual behavior" (<http://ppgo.org/about/mission/> ). Their goal is " to help make the Greater Orlando community a healthier, more informed and responsible place so that we all live healthier, happier lives" (<http://ppgo.org/about/> ).
Political or social basis: Currently, VOX is in the process of a Photo Campaign where willing participants take pictures with signs saying "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" demonstrating the amount of support they have. They also collect Patient Testimonials where people are encouraged to write down or tell us (for us to write down) their positive experiences with PP. This is then sent to the national Planned Parenthood federation, to be used to construct messaging and PR for PP.
General Needs: Volunteers and new members are always welcomed to become apart of the movement. VOX promotes themselves through on and off campus events. VOX is currently holding their safe sex week, in which volunteers table and promote safe sexual practices. They also have partnered with other organizations to put on a slutwalk, requiring many volunteers. They are also engaged in a photo campaign to increase support for Planned Parenthood and encouraging students to sign a petition indicating there support of sexual health and reproductive rights.
Define problem: VOX (Voices of Planned Parenthood) work to educate individuals on campus about “reproductive health and rights.” One of VOX’s goals is to inform our community of students that both women and men have a right to do anything they desire to their own body. They are also focusing on getting this issue into the curriculum of other educational institutions. In addition VOX helps support the “local Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando health centers”.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando and others help all individuals by giving accurate information on sexual health as well as how to handle parenthood. These centers will assist those who may not understand their rights and give them an opportunity to see their lives differently. These individuals will no longer be alone rather they will have someone to comfort them and propose the many options they might have.
Some of Florida laws are anti-choice which can cause a lot of controversy and attack to those that are pro-choice such as VOX and Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando. They don’t all agree and have created specific laws to ban some of the rights that we should all have. And, those not fully aware of what these intuitions can bring will focus only on the negative aspects. But, VOX and Planned Parenthood are there to eradicate any misconceptions on what their true purposes are. They are there to educate and provide different methods to the community and not to make or impose choices upon them. VOX will plan different events, and will “mobilize students and other youth to speak out for reproductive rights and access to reproductive health services.”
Plan that addresses the problem: To help VOX, as a group we plan to provide them with our support, time, and energy. We help them by talking with students around campus about the services provided by Planned Parenthood and helping to alert students about the steps being taken to erode these services.
Rationale: Educating women about sexual health and providing them information on what their rights are towards their own bodies, helps bring out a voice for them. Not all women may understand the true facts or simply the topic of sexual education might be taboo. Either way organizations such as VOX and Planned Parenthood can provide answers to the many questions that both young and adult women have. With their help our women will be better informed and able to make rational decisions based on the facts they know and not on myths they hear from those that don’t know the reality of the matter. For this reason it is important that women are given the opportunity to assist public (or private) meetings so, they can move past the many misconceptions that they may have heard or learned.
Women have fought against the government and other institutions to advocate their right to freely make a decision about their health. Their main stance is pro-choice, which implies that the same rights apply to everyone and each individual should be able to make their own decisions. Historian Rickie Solinger disputed that in the United States the government and elites have always sought to control women’s fertility through laws, attitudes, and social pressure. Women have had to deal with being oppressed by the laws, acquaintances, and even their own families plainly because they made a choice they felt was right but viewed wrong to everyone else. It is clear that this has been an ongoing issue both in the homes as well as to the public. That is why it is imperative that women understand this issue and make it a priority because it is through their voices that changes can be made.
Action: The goal of our service learning is to provide VOX with volunteers willing to help them spread their message. The initial step we took was to contact VOX to express our interest in providing our assistance. As a group we realized that it would be impossible to attend weekly meetings, as they coincide with our Intro to Women’s Studies class time. I was informed by Rachel Collins, an Officer of VOX, that all chapter minutes are reported to the Facebook group and once I become a member it is visible to me. It is not entirely necessary for us to be at the meetings. It was decided that Shandi would serve as the person to contact VOX and convey the dates, locations, and other pertinent information to group members. Because we each have varying schedules, we would then individually decide what events we would like to participate in. Emails were sent asking if there were any specific areas or activities that they would rather us focus our attention on, but they have not been responded to. Any and all materials will be provided through VOX and its partner organizations. All we will need to bring is an open mind, creativity, passion and the ability to teach others about sexual and reproductive health.
Timeline: This group expects the service learning project to be completed before November 30, 2011. There are several major projects that VOX is doing this semester. These events include:
· Photo Campaign
· Collecting Patient Testimonials
· Blog!
· Benefit
· National Month of Latino AIDS awareness in October
· GYT - Get Yourself Tested awareness the last week of October
Works Cited:
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando. Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando, Inc. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.
VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood at UCF.VOX UCF. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.
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