Community Colleges

Over one million unplanned pregnancies occur to single women in their 20s—a group that includes many in community colleges. These unplanned pregnancies result in a large number of single parents who struggle with finances, interrupted or indefinitely postponed education, unstable relationships, and a host of challenging health, educational, and social consequences for their children.

Given their standing and respected presence in communities around the country, community colleges are well-positioned to become part of an effective and far reaching effort to reduce the high rates of unplanned pregnancy among young adults. That is why The National Campaign has made work with community colleges a special area of focus.

Because an unplanned pregnancy presents one more hurdle for students to overcome—with its additional demands on time, added financial responsibility, and further complication of relationships— decreasing high rates of unplanned pregnancy can ultimately have a positive effect on such important community college goals as increasing student retention and helping students achieve their educational objectives.

The National Campaign has produced several materials that underscore the connection between community colleges and unplanned pregnancy:

• A video that captures what community college students have to say about unplanned pregnancy.
• Videos from Planning Your Future – A Discussion about Sex, Pregnancy and Parenthood, a town hall forum cohosted by The National Campaign; Montgomery College; and the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families.
• Two new fact sheets that provide an overview of the connection between unplanned pregnancy and community colleges and offer suggestions on what community colleges can do decrease unplanned pregnancy and increase student retention.

For more information, please contact Andrea Kane, 202-478-8554, or Chelsey Storin, 202-478-8519.