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The Adolescent Parenting Program, based out of the Exchange Club Family Center in Alamance, is designed to serve pregnant or parenting high school students 18 and under. The program's two primary goals are to prevent second pregnancies in teen mothers and to help these mothers graduate from high school.

Other goals include preventing child abuse and neglect, improving family support systems, finding employment for teen parents, strengthening teens' self-esteem as young parents, and improving teen parenting abilities in general.

Teen mothers in the APP program meet as a group once a month to talk about their experiences and share their stories with one another. They have group outings such as trips to the park or dinner out and they receive assistance planning their high school classes, finding jobs and learning specific parenting skills.

Teen mothers in the group also benefit from one-on-one mentoring from the program's director, Holly Broadwater.

Ashleigh Graham began the APP program last October and formed a close bond with Holly. Ashleigh says APP has helped her by giving her someone to talk to and trust in.

"I don't like telling my business to anybody," she says. "If I feel like I can trust you, then I'll tell you. I can tell Holly anything."

Ashleigh says she and the rest of the girls in the program are all trying to be there for their children and support them as best as they can.

Teen mothers are referred to APP by family members, friends, school nurses and guidance counselors, doctors and local community agencies. Teens can also refer themselves through an entirely confidential, easy process.

Kaya Lambert says the support network she's formed through APP, Holly and her school guidance counselors has been a major factor in helping her stay in school.

"If I didn't have support from them," Kaya says, "I don't even know if I would have stayed in school. They made it a lot easier -- just to see that somebody did care besides my family."

Brittany O'Daniel says APP's monthly group meetings have helped her, and now she wants to help others in the group.

"I did a lot with myself since I had my baby," Brittany says. "So maybe I can motivate other people in the group by them watching me being here."

APP operates out of the Exchange Club Family Center of Alamance, a nonprofit organization focusing on child abuse and neglect. Other programs based out of the Family Center include mentoring systems and parenting classes such as Parent Aide and Children's Parents.

APP is in need of volunteers and funding. Volunteers generally spend about four hours each week with the teen parent they've been paired with, providing consistent motivation to stay in school and avoid a second pregnancy. Volunteers are trained by APP and work with the staff to ensure a successful, effective mentorship.

APP lost $75,000 of its state funding for the new fiscal year, which began in July. Several branches of the Adolescent Parenting Program, as well as branches of the Adolescent Pregnancy Program, were forced to shut down.

If you would like to become an APP volunteer mentor or make a donation to the program, call the Alamance Family Center at (336) 438-2072 or write APP, P.O. Box 2881, 719 Hermitage Road, Burlington, NC 27215.