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As a Liberty Fellow, Forrest Alton seeks innovative strategies to help S.C. schools improve to advance citizens' well-being
March 26, 2012
Forrest Alton, an Arnold School alumnus
and Liberty Fellow, will deliver the
keynote address Tuesday, April 3,
for a Public Health Week program
coordinated by the S.C. Public Health
Association, in partnership with the Arnold
School of Public Health, Office of
Public Health Practice and S.C. Campaign
to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Improving the performance of its public school students is one of the most important things South Carolina can do to advance the economic well-being of its people, said Arnold School of Public Health alumnus Forrest Alton.
Alton, CEO of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, is exploring innovative strategies to help schools improve as part of his two-year stint as a Liberty Fellow. Alton is one of 23 people recently selected to the eighth class of the leadership group created by Greenville businessman Hayne Hipp, Wofford College and the Aspen Institute.
"Our eighth class is enormously impressive, reminding us of the quality of leadership we have percolating in South Carolina," said Hipp, "While they span a wide range of thought and diversity of perspectives, these fellows share a desire to take action to make South Carolina better."
The 2011 recipient of the Gerry Sue Arnold Medal from the Arnold School, Alton is recognized as a state and national leader on the issue of adolescent sexual health and has authored or co-authored numerous articles and publications on teen pregnancy prevention and related issues.
Alton will deliver the keynote address Tuesday, April 3, for an event presented by the S.C. Public Health Association (SCPHA), in partnership with the Office of Public Health Practice at the Arnold School and the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The groups are partnering to offer a networking and information session as part of Public Health Week, April 2 – 8.
The event will be from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Public Health Research Center, Room 114. The theme is "Public Health: Where Do I Fit?"
Alton's talk is titled "Get In Where You Fit In." The SCPHA Student Forum will have an exhibit at the event and make a presentation.
Curbing teen pregnancy would be an important social goal on its own. However focusing on academic achievement as part of his Liberty Fellowship project, in conjunction with lowering teen pregnancy rates, allows him to focus on related issues without a lot of duplication, he said.
South Carolina's grade for its educational policies and performance slipped this year to a C+, according to the 2011 Quality Counts report by the national magazine Education Week, published by the nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education. The Palmetto State earned an overall score of B- last year and ranked 11th nationally, but the state fared worse this year, falling to the No. 15 spot.
A strong relationship exists between academic achievement and the issue of teen pregnancy, said Alton.
His organization's own numbers reveal that young people who are engaged and succeeding in school are less likely to become pregnant in their teens, he said, while students who drop out of school are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors and become pregnant.
His research efforts are supported by his mentor, David E. Dukes, a former managing partner with the Nelsen Mullins Riley & Scarborough Law Firm and a recognized expert in product liability law.
Dukes, trustee of the Business Partnership Foundation for the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business, is on the board of the foundation for the South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics.
Dr. Harris Pastides, USC president and former Arnold School dean, is also a mentor for the Liberty Fellows.
Pastides is mentoring Sue-Ann (Susie) Shannon, director of research at the Palmetto Institute and an attorney with the McNair Law Firm. Pastides and Shannon are both ardent supporters of K-12 education and devote their expertise and energy on the topic at a professional and personal level
Pairing an attorney with a public health professional might seem a curious match, said Alton. But he and Dukes have bonded closely out of shared life experiences and early professional successes.
The Liberty Fellows gather regularly to discuss important issues. The program also permits Alton and others to interact with Liberty Fellows in other countries. He's looking forward to a gathering this fall in South Africa where he'll have a chance to meet with his cohorts dealing with similar issues.
Also on his personal horizon, Alton will marry Dr. Heather Brandt, another Arnold School graduate, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Promotion, Education, and Behavior. Their wedding is scheduled this summer.
About Liberty Fellowship
The Liberty Fellowship is a statewide leadership initiative founded by Hayne Hipp, Wofford College and The Aspen Institute. Through the Fellow program, Liberty Fellowship seeks to inspire outstanding leadership in South Carolina, empowering the state's leaders to realize their full potential. Fostering a values-based approach, Liberty Fellowship exposes rising leaders to diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and intellectual and personal development. For more information: www.libertyfellowshipsc.org.
