Shine On Purpose - Enpowering & Transforming The Lives of Girls and Women

"Three-quarters of a million teens between 15 and 19 become pregnant each year."

"Reducing teen pregnancy and birth is one of the most effective ways of reducing child poverty in the country."

"Teen pregnancy can ruin your life"

"Nationally reported AIDS cases in adolescents 13 to 19 years of age, 50 percent occur in African Americans, 28 percent in Caucasians and 20 percent in Hispanics."

"Nationally, adolescents 15 to 19 years old have some of the highest reported rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia among sexually active people."

"Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually."

"Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant."

"Depending on the state, teenage birth rates are incredibly different. Nevada has the highest rate: 113 per 1000 and North Dakota the lowest 42 per 1000."

"The fact that just under 1/3 of all girls in the United States will get pregnant in their teenage years."

"Pregnant teens are among the most likely mothers-to-be to have inadequate prenatal care."

"According to the Single Parents Network, 28% of pregnant teens live in families with income below the federal poverty line, and 30% of pregnant teens are living in single parent homes."

"In the United States the rates among teens 15-19 is 83.6 pregnancies per 1,000 girls, and 42.1 births. However, Texas is third on the list of states with high teen birth rates with 63.1 births per 1,000 girls."

"Every 10 minutes a teen in Texas gets pregnant."

"Unmarried teenagers having children account for 24 percent of all unmarried expectant mothers."

"More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school."

"Thirty-four percent of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 -- about 820,000 a year."

"Close to four in ten girls who had first intercourse at 13 or 14 report it was either non-voluntary or unwanted."

"Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one-third receive a high school diploma) and only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30."

"More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school."

"Close to 2800 teens get pregnant each day."

S.H.I.N.E. On! Mentoring Program

Our Mentor Program matches our girls and women to professional women who meet with them regularly to provide a positive influence and opportunities for exploration and enjoyment. Matches develop a one-to-one mentoring relationship and meet collectively on a bi-monthly basis and independently in the community at-large. Matches have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. S.H.I.N.E. On mentees have the opportunity to discover who they are, receive advice and support from inspirational women, and gain courage to accomplish their dreams.

Selected professional women are carefully screened and then matched with the most compatible girls and women. The program is a year-long commitment between the mentor and mentee. Each month, mentors and mentees spend between six and eight hours together, participating in fun and enriching activities. Activities range from visiting museums, seeing a play, bike riding, ice skating, bowling, and helping with homework, to tasting a variety of ethnic foods or exploring new neighborhoods.

As both get to know one another and build their friendship, the mentors have an opportunity to share their life experiences and the mentee has a chance to learn from someone they can relate to about life, how to handle difficult situations, and how to prepare for and build their future and obtain their goals.

Mentor Program Goals:

Increase girls'/women’s sense of self worth.

Improve girls'/women’s perspective toward education.

Help girls/women develop and define their short-term and long-term goals.

Provide them with positive support and encouragement.

Help them become self-sufficient, motivated and productive citizens.

The Mentor Program has a great impact on SHINE On Purpose, and we expect those effects to continue and grow as we build on the program’s success and also use that success to strengthen our other programs.