Oklahoma has the third-highest teen birth rate in the nation, and over 20% of all teen births in the state take place in Oklahoma County. In 2015, Honestly (at the time known as Thrive OKC) set its sights on reducing the county’s rate by a third by 2020. The collaborative organization, which is made up of over 40 community partners, governmental agencies, and service providers, exceeded its goal by achieving a 40% reduction—a year early!

Seeking to lower the teen birth rate in central Oklahoma by an additional 25%, Honestly turned to 1000 Feathers for a game plan. The result was Momentum Matters: A Collaborative Plan for Preventing Teen Pregnancy, which gave Honestly a new approach, a new energy, and new strategies to address the issue.

1000 Feathers and Honestly embarked on a strategic planning process that enabled the organization to listen to and learn from experts and community voices. A review of local and national data, as well as policies affecting teen pregnancy, guided the creation of the collaborative’s next steps and informed its new agenda.

1000 Feathers also assisted with implementation by serving as interim communications director, liaison to the overhaul of Honestly’s website, facilitator of the collaborative’s meetings, and coordinator of a process to rebuild relationships and realign the organization through a shared vision.

The work is ongoing, and progress won’t happen overnight. Reductions in teen pregnancy and teen birth rates across the U.S. have masked the fact that rates are still substantially higher than in other industrialized nations. Significant disparities still exist by geography and demography. However, with a collective-impact plan in place and more than three dozen organizations working in synergy, progress in Oklahoma County is now more achievable than ever.