Planned Parenthood Kicks Off Summer Series of Youth Organizing and Policy Institutes This Weekend in Chicago

Hundreds of Youth Activists Gather in Cities Across the Country to Support Reproductive Rights and Push Back Against Political Attacks

New York, NY. ―This summer, Planned Parenthood Generation Action — the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s youth and campus engagement programs ― is bringing together more than a thousand young activists and emerging leaders in seven cities across the country for a series of Youth Organizing and Policy Institutes.

The 3–4 day institutes will provide trainings and opportunities to put skills into action by engaging in local advocacy efforts. Each group of young leaders will leave the program with a plan of action and having made a commitment to move the work of reproductive rights and health care access forward in their local communities.

“We are so excited to bring together youth leaders from across the country to fight back against the ongoing attacks on access to health care and reproductive rights,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “These passionate, committed young women and men are ensuring that this country is moving forward, not backward, when it comes to affordable health care, access to birth control, and safe and legal abortion. I’m so inspired to see more and more young people stand up and join this fight.”

Amid ongoing attacks on health care access and reproductive rights across the U.S. and abroad, this year has seen the launch of Planned Parenthood Generation and Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Planned Parenthood’s updated youth and campus engagement programs.

With more than 250 campus groups across the country, Planned Parenthood Generation Action members are rising up to say “enough is enough” to the recent unprecedented attacks on access to reproductive health care and safe and legal abortion. In fact, in the past few years, the number of Planned Parenthood chapters on college campuses has more than doubled.

“These institutes are about harnessing our power, energy, and enthusiasm to strengthen the youth movement for health care for all,” said Kelley Robinson, assistant director, Planned Parenthood Generation and Planned Parenthood Generation Action. “Whether it’s fighting to ensure that the Affordable Care Act continues to help people get the care they need, or fighting back against politicians trying to roll back women’s access to birth control and safe and legal abortion; this generation is committed to helping everyone — young and old — live to their fullest potential and be able to make their own decisions about their health and bodies.”

Like many Americans, young people in this country often do not identify with the “pro-choice” or “pro-life” labels, which don’t reflect the complexity of how most people actually think and feel about abortion. However, like generations before them, the majority of young Americans oppose efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade:

Solid majorities of Millennials support keeping abortion safe and legal. Six in ten Millennials believe abortion should be available in all or most cases, similar to other generations.
Millennials are more likely to support access in their own community: 68 percent believe abortion should be available in their community, compared to 60 percent of boomers and only 42 percent of seniors.

The 2014 Youth Organizing and Policy Institutes will take place from June to August in Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA, Nashville, TN, Ft. Worth, TX, New York, NY, Denver, CO, and Ann Arbor, MI.