By: Sophie Sanchez
This summer, I’ve been interning at VAYLA New Orleans through their Reproductive Justice Program. As a rising sophomore, this is my first experience participating in the Reproductive Rights & Reproductive Health internship program. While I’ve only been working with VAYLA for a few weeks, I feel like I’ve already grown as an advocate and activist. VAYLA’s focus on people of color, specifically Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, has allowed me to critically examine the resources and information available for marginalized communities seeking reproductive healthcare. While I intern for VAYLA New Orleans, I am almost 1,000 miles away in Chicago due to the coronavirus pandemic. Interning remotely has been a unique and sometimes challenging experience, but the organization I work for is a team of great minds that I love to work with, even if it is through a computer screen. Right now, my fellow intern and I are developing a reproductive justice lesson plan for New Orleans high schoolers. This lesson plan for the reproductive justice summer program includes documentaries, readings, infographics, and interactive resources. We will be covering everything from contraception, to abortion, to healthy relationships. When finding resources, I try my best to ensure they are intersectional, including resources like, “Tips for Making Your Conversations About Reproductive Rights More Trans-Inclusive.”
