Not only do we work to make ourselves stronger, we also work to make our community stronger as well.  As LDP members transition into leadership council members, our young women share their knowledge and strength by participating in and expanding our organizing campaigns. This provides young women with hands-on grassroots organizing and leadership experience to share their knowledge with the next generation of LDP members.

      
We are currently campaigning to secure young mothers rights to a wholesome education. This includes ensuring LYFE centers spaces, continuance of code 40 and making sure resources and materials are available for young women in schools. We are also reaching out to young women who are not being serviced by the NYC D.O.E. to find ways to further their education to create a balanced life.

In order to reach out to as many women as possible, we visit schools, table at conferences, and distribute fliers and pamphlets. Our outreach spans throughout the Bronx. Our organizing team of students and members organizes actions, meetings with department and elected officials, and conducts workshops to raise awareness around the issues young mothers face. We work to raise awareness, empower and create strategic ways to preserve and create more resources for young mothers throughout NYC. Our current campaigns:

Know Your Rights

Each year thousands of young mothers throughout NYC are pressured out of their schools by faculty and administrators. Due to lack of information by faculty and students alike, women are unaware of the rights that protect them within the education system. This lack of knowledge leaves them feeling helpless and diminishes their self-worth. As a result, an increasing number of young mothers are disappearing from schools. This has to stop! Women are guaranteed the right to a free public school education until they receive their diploma or turn 21. Unfortunately only a handful of people in the Department of Education are aware of this fact. Our outreach team works throughout the Bronx to ensure that young women and school faculty are aware of student rights and women are allowed to remain in their current schools free of discrimination regardless of their pregnancy or parenting status.

LYFE Center Campaign

LYFE centers are daycare facilities, located in NYC public schools.  Free care anduse of LYFE centers is available to all parents enrolled in NYC students. In November of 2008, the NYC LYFE centers lost their funding from the ACS. This totaled to $3.2 million loss annually. These LYFE centers are vital resources to young mothers, by providing free childcare at public schools. Without these centers many young women would not be able to attend school. We are working to ensure the future of LYFE centers and the right of women to enroll.  This means raising awareness around their existence and tracking of the accomplishments the women that use them. These centers are under attack and in order to keep them from closing in 2010 we need to raise awareness about their importance and benefits.