Our Philosophy

Young people prevent pregnancy – we do not. CAS-Carrera’s philosophy is based in an understanding that when teens believe they have value and a real chance for success, they begin to see a future in which teen pregnancy has no part. Research shows that the desire to avoid sexual risk-taking is more likely to exist if a young person has a consistent adult in their life who: believes that the young person is precious and capable of "going places"; encourages the young person’s development of a hopeful sense of the future; regularly reinforces the notion that foregoing early pregnancy and childbearing will enhance his/her life opportunities; and provides the opportunity for a young person to communicate his or her thoughts and feelings about sexuality and sexual expression during their development. Unfortunately, many young people see little employment opportunity around them and will likely face a life of marginal economic status, ever-present racism, and inadequate opportunities for quality education.

To begin dealing realistically with the national concern about adolescent pregnancy, we must accept that there are no quick-fix solutions, no single-intervention programs which will, by themselves, solve the problems that haunt us and take a toll on the lives of so many young people. Cognitive and silo approaches alone are insufficient to meet this challenge and do not address the complexities of teen pregnancy. We cannot teach our way out of the national teen pregnancy problem. We must help young people develop not only the capacity to avoid sexual risk taking, but also the genuine desire to do so. We must help them cross the great divide between thinking and doing. At CAS-Carrera, we use a multi-component approach to help young people to pursue concrete goals such as substantial employment, achievement in school, college completion, and a meaningful career or profession. We provide our participants with comprehensive medical and dental care, a bank account through Job Club, and access to mental health services as needed. These are the elements that reduce teen pregnancy, violence, and substance abuse. Our above-the-waist pregnancy prevention approach creates an environment where young people are healthy, safe, stimulated, engaged and supported. We put a premium on engaging teens, and recognize that persistent and gentle engagement is crucial, especially when a young person seems not to care. Teens often forget what we say or do, but they rarely forget how we make them feel. The beating heart of our work is service.