MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NBC) -- A Memphis, Tennessee high school is trying to come to grips with a teen
pregnancy epidemic.
Ninety students who attend Frayser High School are
currently pregnant or have already had a baby this year.
The stunning
number means nearly 11 percent of the school's approximately 800 students are
already experiencing the trials of parenthood.
A Title One school,
Frayser receives federal dollars based on the number of students from low income
families who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Nearly 100 percent of
the students who attend the school qualify.
Such a high rate of
pregnancy at one school is dire, but sources say there is a massive initiative
in the works dedicated to preventing teen pregnancy in the Frayser community.
The initiative will include:
- After-school and in-school
programs funded with grant money, operated by a local non-profit that already
does some work for city schools.
- A $250,000 advertising campaign
targeted at the Frayser community that is based on research done in focus groups
at the school.
- A federally funded component that emphasizes the
responsibility of young men, operated through a Memphis hospital
The
city of Memphis is also a partner in the initiative, and could offer some
support, possibly through the Social Innovation Fund.
While those 90
students will not benefit from such a highly targeted pregnancy prevention
initiative, it could truly give future generations of Frayser High School
students an expectation of excellence, no excuses, and no worries about
parenting.
Some details on the initiative are still being hammered out,
but the partners in the massive effort are expected to roll out the plan on
January 20th.