Public Speaking About Adoption!!!

Thanks for the pm! I'll check it out more later- we'll be leaving soon to visit Kara!! I just went in to the highschools during registration to ask who to talk to and they had me write out a brief letter saying I'd like to talk with the classes and my contact info so they can get ahold of me. I know I will be at the high school I went to cause I was contacted before I became a bmom also, but I wasnt sure then if I wanted to. It was one of my teachers that asked me to, so I wrote out an extra note for her to say I'm ready and now I've got more to add! So I guess no definites here yet. I was planning on calling to talk to the guidance counselors about it a couple months after school starts if I havent heard anything by then, though.

Oh that's a good idea... I'll ask the one i have to call... See i want to start in the state that has legal open adoption contracts (I didnt know when I relinquished that it did or i would have gone there, my home state, and I work there). But it is a very Catholic state so I was thinking I should send in a summary too so principals know that parents (the ones who care) wont get miffed. I'm so old I'm not sure that any of my teachers still exist except, get this, my kindergarten teacher is now a principal. I need to talk to her for speaking advice I thought. OK, first, it might be necessary to state that one does not condone teen sex but that it does happen and you want to discuss two outcomes. Points of one and points of another. Really I just want these kids to know that open adoption exists, that teen parenting is hard but not impossible, that laws for child support don't always get results and to really do some research if they find themselves pregnant. Quite frankly I would like to go to the public high schools in N.O. because those are the students I would like to reach. Terribly I feel as though the poor schools should be spoken to as potential bparents (and parents) and the rich schools as potential bparents and adopters. Only for that would I like to cover adoption in terms of the rights of bparents (often overlooked I've noticed). But anyway I'm just kinda yappin away here. Shellie, we need to go to chat! I'm gonna email you again when I get it working from home (go figger). Maia I love this idea! But then, I want to change the world too.... LOL

Maia do you yahoo at all? Or I could set up a free IM service with AOL or MSN, too if you've got one of those!

oh I've been on AIM for about 7 years. I don't have yahoo installed but could do that too. I think Nic is on that too. I used to be on Yahoo. Now someone stole my SN for yahoo that I use for aim :( cuz I sold my character. Volfe is a high-level empath in an rpg. You better go!!! I'm not going to PM you until later on when you are gone and you better take some pics!! cuz I'd like you to show me one (in email) and um...shall I go on so you stay later? LOL Maia

Hey everyone..... Late jumping in... sorry. Shellie, I think it's awesome that you are doing this..... Here is the thing I really want to get across when I am trying to "educate" people.... that there is such a thing as open adoption, and that it does work.... but so far, I have not found a place to speak about it. Really, my main concern is for potential aparents. What do you girls think? Where should I go to get started on this? I emailed the agency I placed through, saying I'd like to speak at their info nights sometime, but did not hear back... should I call them? Can you think of anywhere else that would be a good place to talk? AOL IM.... tried to download a few months ago.... can't find it on my puter. (I am so incompetent at some of this stuff.) Did it just not work, or am I not looking in the right place for it?

I think the most important thing in any public speaking is picking one or two messages and focus on them. With high school students I would pick one. If I were speaking to high school students my main message would be "There are no easy solutions to a crisis pregnancy. With all choices you will experience some loss. That knowing yourself is the most important information you can have when making a decision." That's it.

Thanks Brenda for reminding us that too much info isnt always good:D . I sometimes forget that! Nicole- I'd call and call and call- but I get like that sometimes when its about something I really want! I'd stop in at the local high schools in your area and let them know you are an available speaker, too! The highschools in my area all have a teen parenting class-only for high school kids who have a baby or are pg, and also a health class for the entire student body-health is required.