Appalachian Center for Equality

Logan Child Poverty Community Forum

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The forum was one in of 47 forums being held in support of the statewide campaign called “Our Children, Our Future,” sponsored by the WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition and 126 partner organizations, including the American Friends Service Committee, the WV Council of Churches, and many elected officials legislators, community organizations, universities and families. Logan High School Believing All is Possible (BAPS) Youth Leadership members Summer Burgess and Jasmine Murphy spoke on the issues of teen pregnancy and prison overcrowding. Photos: Lida Shepherd

Members of the BAPS (Believing All is Possible!) youth leadership program in Logan, West Virginia were front and center at a community forum about child poverty in March 2013.  Sponsored by AFSC and a dozen other organizations, the forum focused on prison overcrowding, teen pregnancy prevention, family violence prevention, and parent education.  Advocates as well as people impacted by poverty spoke.

Kyra Wells

ACE participant Kyra Wells.

In late February Kyra Wells, a sophomore at Logan High School in West Virginia, was at the State Capitol, meeting with staff of Governor Tomblin. She brought up an issue that is on her mind and on the minds of many of her peers in rural Appalachia: teen pregnancy.         

“A lot of young women are getting pregnant,” Kyra said. “What could you do to prevent it?”

EPIC wants Fairness

Boone County girls empowerment group EPIC standing around Upper Rotunda before meeting with legislators

On March 5th, youth leaders of EPIC (Empowered Prioritized Intelligent Chicks) of Sherman High School in Boone County, West Virginia advocated for the Employment and Housing Nondiscrimination Act (EHNDA) at the State Capitol.  Frustrated about bullying and discrimination around sexual orientation at their high school, they learned about advocacy at the state level in order to make change locally.  

BAPS at Kids and Families Day

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Images available on Flickr

On February 26th, 2013, BAPS youth leadership group, a program of the American Friends Service Committee, traveled to the West Virginia State Capitol for Kids and Families Day. Students participated in the kickoff of the statewide child poverty campaign, Our Children, Our Future: The Campaign to End Child Poverty Photos: Beth Spence

On February 26th, 2013  BAPS youth leadership group, a program of the American Friends Service Committee, traveled to the State Capitol for Kids and Families Day, to participate in the kickoff of the statewide child poverty campaign, Our Children, Our Future: The Campaign to End Child Poverty.