As I sat and listened to several Central Valley, CA, Latino teens tell me about their future ambitions and life dreams, I was struck by how determined to succeed these kids were. Despite living in communities threatened by drug and gang activity, low income and high unemployment levels, each was looking forward to graduating from high school, attending college and having a promising career. It was also clear that each teen was well aware of the fact that becoming a parent at an early age would make achieving their aspirations much more difficult. This anecdotal information precisely mirrors findings published in the National Campaign's recently released report Toward a Common Future.

Yet, according to what these teens shared with me, school year after school year they witness many of their friends and classmates giving up or postponing their efforts to reach their goals as a result of an unintended pregnancy. Given the unique challenges Latino teens face, many of which contribute to the high rates of teen pregnancy in their communities, Latino teens in particular can use adult guidance in order to identify and navigate past the numerous issues they'll more than likely have to address as they grow older.

Determined to assist teens in confronting and resolving these challenges on a daily basis are youth-serving organizations such as Nuevo Comienzo/New Start (a new program developed by The Latino Commission), the Boys and Girls Club of Tulare, and the California Health Collaborative. On a recent trip to Fresno, CA, I saw first hand the incredibly important role these programs are having in fostering the well-being of their community. By providing youths with a safe and comfortable environment where they can obtain knowledge regarding healthy, committed relationships; pregnancy prevention; comprehensive sex education; empowerment; respect and personal responsibility, these organizations are supplying teens with the fundamental messages and thought-provoking exercises that will help them as they mature and make decisions that will impact their lives and the lives of others.

Below are some video excerpts of the comments I obtained from one Youth Program Director and three teens I met during my trip to California. As you will see, these organizations are doing an exceptional job providing teens with the wherewithal and motivation to keep them striving towards attaining a bright and successful future. In my opinion, their work--and the teens themselves--certainly deserve a loud round of applause.