While the high school graduation rate for Iowa teens has increased, pregnant and parenting teens (PPT) still struggle to graduate and continue to college and/or employment. Most are low-income young women and/or young women of color. Nearly one-third of pregnant young women who drop out of high school cite stigma as the main factor. When PPT feel judged in school, sometimes from school personnel, they are less likely to trust or seek support from other adults. EOI aims to end the poverty/teen pregnancy cycle by training personnel in seven school districts to encourage PPT to succeed, rather than shaming them or pushing them to drop out.
