The National Right
to Life Academy
The Summer of a (Pro-)Lifetime
BY Megan McCrum
Summer 2007 marks the inaugural session of the National
Right to Life Academy, a new summer program designed to
educate and equip college students with the knowledge and
skills to effectively work for the pro-life cause.
At
the core of the program is the practicum. Students and staff
alike agree that that these daily sessions that simulate
experiences form the cohesive structure that ties the course
together and helps the students to become more effective
activists.
As
Academy director, Burke Balch's vision is to offer an
in-depth curriculum of courses that survey virtually all
conceivable subjects related to the pro-life movement. That
list includes history, ethics, parliamentary procedure,
lessons learned from other social movements, specific
legislation, and of course an in-depth look at the various
arguments for pro-death proposals, such as assisted suicide,
health care rationing, and embryonic stem cell research, and
the contrasting evidence supporting pro-life alternatives.
Mr.
Balch, the director of NRLC's Robert Powell Center for
Medical Ethics, models the Academy on the former National
Youth Pro-Life Coalition, a training program designed for
teens, that flourished in the 1970s and 80s.
Supplementing the course work are lectures by NRLC staff.
Veterans of many years in the trenches, they share their
expertise on topics including media strategy, outreach to
churches, fundraising, and public speaking tips.
Mr.
Balch asserts that a comprehensive knowledge of the
movement's history is essential to any pro-life activist, so
that their energy and enthusiasm are not wasted
by going down roads that have already proven to be
dead ends or off-course trails.
Daily
lessons on the ins-and-outs of parliamentary procedure may
be a surprising find in a pro-life course. But NRLC State
Legislative Director Mary Spaulding Balch insists on the
value of understanding the intricate system of procedural
rules.
"Our
opponents know how to use it, we should too," she says. In
other words, one must know the rules if one is to have any
hope of prevailing.
Synthesizing and Articulating
In
practicum the students are challenged to break down and then
synthesize the information they have been absorbing, so that
they can then articulate for themselves the arguments in
defense of life. The practicum session is a sort of like a
daily exam, but it is also a lively time that interjects
some levity and fun into the classroom.
It
may be more intimidating when Burke Balch assumes the role
of the pro-abortion lobbyist, but the students all agree
that they can be just as challenging when they practice
lobbying each other.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the intense brain workout
they are getting this summer, the students still maintain a
high level of energy and enthusiasm for youthful fun. The
students take full advantage of NRLC's close proximity to
the National Mall.
Frisbee, football, and volleyball are frequent evening
activities that have been known to draw not only interns and
Academy students but also members of the NRLC staff. Outings
to D.C.'s summer attractions, such as Washington Nationals
baseball, outdoor films through Screen on the Green, or free
Navy Band concerts, are regularly organized.
In
mid-July Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the House Pro-Life
Caucus, met with the Academy students and NRLC interns. His
office graciously provided a tour of the Capitol.
The
students in this summer's Academy come from a wide array of
states, colleges, and academic backgrounds. From Wyoming to
Massachusetts, Cornell University to the University of
Steubenville, and philosophy to nursing, the student make-up
of the Academy tags all the bases.
Through the National Right to Life Academy these students
from disparate backgrounds have been brought together not
only to develop their minds but to enjoy the added
experience of developing friendships with peers who share
their passion to defend life in all stages.
All
in all, it's the summer of a (pro-)lifetime.
