Embarazada: Growing a community of pregnant Latina teenagers through creative, critical literacies

This thesis examines pregnancy in teenage Latina populations and the response to these pregnancies in public education and contemporary culture. While pregnant Latinas may feel voiceless within the sphere of public education, this thesis proposes an educational program model that gives voice and visibility to this group. Language and literature are explored as agents of social change and tools for empowerment in teenage Latina populations. Literacy education is examined as a vehicle of that social transformation. Personal narratives, critical literacy and creativity are analyzed as methods of nurturing self-efficacy, critical skills and community within this at-risk population. Theories of critical, creative literacy (Freire, 2007; Shor, 1999) and media literacy are foundational to the rationale for this study and proposal.