Experts Archives

National statistics show that only 38% of young women who become pregnant while still attending high school will graduate with a high school diploma. At the Young Women’s Resource Center young mothers are actively challenging this statistic with 83% of YWRC mothers obtaining a high school diploma. Perinatal Specialist, Ashley Ezzio, and Parenting/Life Skills Specialist, […]

When I imagine Louise Rosenfield Noun, the leader of a group of visionary women who founded the Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC), I envision a small woman with pure white hair and a stare that could immediately put you in your place. This vision is driven by what I have read about Louise in her […]

  “I love your outfit!” “Your eyes are so pretty.” “Your hair looks awesome today.” “Where did you get those shoes?!” “She’s such a pretty baby.” You meet a new person and the first thing you notice is how they look—you don’t know much else about them yet.  It’s easy to break the silence with […]

Mary Gordon is the YWRC’s Community Education Specialist. She previously worked in the Des Moines Public School system for 37 years as a teacher, reading and math program coordinator and elementary principal.  She was a partner in Gordon and Royal Educational Consulting and has also written two children’s books, Bedtime Surprise and Little Bethlehem Star.  […]

Have you ever flipped through a magazine and looked at all of the different ads, then suddenly, out of nowhere, you begin to regret the burger and fries you had for lunch that day? The truth is, we’ve all been there one time or another. At the Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC), we teach young […]

Imagine being young, pregnant and having nowhere to turn for support.  Imagine being told by your parents that they are ashamed of you and that you will never amount to anything.  Imagine feeling alone, like you’re the only teenager who has experienced an unplanned pregnancy.  Imagine that the father of your baby has left you, […]

July 15, 2015 – The Young Women’s Resource Center Board has hired Kristin Griffith as the new Executive Director.  Ms. Griffith was previously the Executive Director at Harmony Hall Centre for Seniors in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She will begin her duties as Executive Director September 14, 2015. “The Young Women’s Resource Center and the Board […]

“Perhaps strength doesn’t reside in having never been broken, but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places.”  (Unknown) Resiliency is the ability to recover or bounce back from challenging situations. When faced with adversity, a resilient person has the confidence and courage to overcome that hardship and, “grow strong in the […]

My first question to young girls when educating them on their reproductive health is – why do you think we talk about this? I usually get a variety of answers, but typically they answer by telling me that they already know everything. It is clear through our pre-survey (which is filled out in our initial […]

“Puberty is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change as you move from kid to adult. We’re talking about stuff like girls developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men. During puberty, your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for […]