The People's Money (2022-2023)

What problem would you like to solve?

Teenage Pregnancy in Brownsville

Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?

According to the 2018 Community Health Profiles Report, Brownsville has a teen birth rate of 31.2% per 1,000 teenage girl between the ages of 15-19 years of age. This is 30 times that of Greenwich Village and nearly twice the NYC and Brooklyn wide rates. This direct correlates to the vicious cycle of poverty and the high levels of crime and violence experienced in Brownsville. 27% of Brownsville residents never finish high school and only a fifth fo to college compared to 84% in Greenwich Village. The violence in Brownsville is the manifestation of underlying problems that are not being addressed. If the root cause is addressed Brownsville will become a safe place for people to live, work and raise families. Together, we can make this reality.

What idea do you have to address the problem?

The Miss Teen Brownsville Pageant is a teen empowerment program geared toward girls ages 13-19 who reside in Brownsville/ East New York. The pageant is titled, "Beauty, Brains & Philanthropy Meet". The goal is to empower young women to not only attribute beauty to their physical appearance, but to the that radiates from within: A beauty that is rooted in self worth and self confidence. A key part of this mission is to teach that education, not just the conventional education is vital for upward social mobility and sustainable development. As such, girls are engaged from February through to July in sex education, financial literacy, etiquette and capacity building workshops. Additionally, girls are paired with a mentor who acts as an accountability and guide to help them stay on the path of success. This pageant seeks to instill in our young women the rich benefits of giving back in their community by encouraging them to volunteer at community events and lend their voice to help solve issues in their Community. Furthermore, education based scholarships are given to the girls to assist with any education expenses they may have when matriculating from High School to College/ University or just getting a quality education. To add icing to the cake on the 2nd Saturday of July the girls model outfits in the sport wear, street wear and evening wear categories. They also get a chance to showcase their talent and their intelligence. One girl is crowned Miss Teen Brownsville, but all the girls have an opportunity to become an ambassador in their community. The vision for the pageant is that it will ultimately lead to a reduction in teenage pregnancy and high school dropouts among the young women population in Brownsville and similar communities across the nation.

Who would that help?

Teen girls ages 13-19

What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?

Brownsville/ East New York