Back to School for Chapters Too

By Holly Miller, NRLC Field Coordinator

With Labor Day behind us and the school year already underway, this time of year presents many opportunities to educate local students on the life issues. (See stories, pages 12-14.) I draw almost unanimous guffaws whenever I broach the subject of right- to-life chapters working with local public schools.

While I understand that many public schools are non-cooperative as soon as you identify yourselves as members of the local right- to-life group, we have to be persistent and creative in order to reach the audience most affected by our culture of death. We have a long and successful track record; unfortunately not many pro-lifers know that.

You can line up local "experts" who are willing to educate students on specific issues relating to the protection of the unborn and have them contact the school.
For instance, ask your local pro-life obstetrician or general practitioner to volunteer to talk to students about human development. The school will likely be enthusiastic to have the town doctor as a guest teacher for their students. The doctor can humanize the unborn child by showing fetal models and ultrasound pictures, along with sharing anecdotes and his or her expertise.

Your pro-life state representative or state senator can volunteer to talk to students in social studies, government, debate, and American history classes about how a bill becomes a law or how things operate at the state capitol. Then, he or she can use pro-life bills as examples.

By explaining a commonsense piece of protective legislation, how it moved through committees and to the floor for a vote, why and how certain amendments were defeated, conference committees, and the governor's action, students will get a great education in how our government works. This has another effect of demonstrating the good sense and necessity of pro-life bills.

Crisis pregnancy center counselors or pro-life psychologists could talk to psychology classes. Identify the classes offered in your schools and be creative in matching up a community member with the expertise to speak on the subject.
Creativity and persistence are critical to reaching young people. And it is critical that they do hear from you.

No one is more effective in sharing the truth about abortion with students than another student. Be sure to educate the children and grandchildren of your members on the life issues and especially alternatives to abortion. Encouraging students to start a Teens for Life group will ensure a constant pro-life presence in high schools and even middle schools.

Local teens should put business cards or fliers advertising the nearest crisis pregnancy center in the women's restrooms and locker rooms of the high school. If girls can get information about pro-life pregnancy-related services in a confidential way rather than going to Planned Parenthood or opening the phone directory to abortion providers, we will save lives.

Go to the local library and the high school library to see what, if any, materials they have relating to life issues. Recommend book titles or have the chapter donate them.

Have a parent speak with the school's counselors and nurse about how they handle situations involving a girl with a crisis pregnancy. If the school's policies are unsatisfactory, work diligently with the administration and school board until they change. Use this campaign as an opportunity to educate the educators on life issues, the alternatives to abortion, and the services that crisis pregnancy centers provide.

If your schools have a health fair or "Wellness Week," try to get local pro-life speakers involved or staff a booth. Again, if officially participating as the local right-to-life chapter is not possible, have pro-life community members use their expertise to gain access or have your crisis pregnancy center host a booth.

Finally, a "Spiritual Adoption" project is a wonderful program to coordinate with private Christian and parochial schools. Encourage students and their families to "spiritually adopt" one unborn baby who is in danger of being aborted at the beginning of the school year.

The family then prays daily for this unknown baby and that her parents will choose life. Nine months later, in May or June, teachers can hold baby showers for the spiritual adoptees in their classrooms and students can bring baby clothes and toys to donate to your crisis pregnancy center.

I hope I have given you a few ideas that require only a small workload for your chapter and make a big impact on the students in your community. Again, creativity and persistence are critical to reaching young people. And it is critical that they do hear from you. After all, they may not be hearing about the sanctity of life anywhere else.