Nineteen students from all across Oregon gathered for Launch on March 26 – 29. During four days of intensive pro-life training, students learned about everything from embryology and physician-assisted suicide to conversational strategies for talking with pro-choice people.
A quick overview:
Day 1: Dr. Debbi Canepa taught students about embryology; Dr. William Toffler spoke to students about physician-assisted suicide.
Day 2: Students visited Hope Pregnancy Clinic in Salem, toured the Oregon Capitol, met legislators including Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp and Representative Anna Scharf and had lunch with Marion County Commissioner Colm Willis. Later in the day, students learned about student activism from Lucia Taylor and heard from a panel of two women and one man who have experienced abortion.
Days 3 – 4: Intensive pro-life apologetics training with Emily Albrecht of the Equal Rights Institute. Students practiced how to dialogue with pro-choice people in compassionate, productive ways.
At every step, students engaged with the material by asking questions and discussing the content. During free time, students played games, roasted marshmallows and discussed big ideas as they continued to build lifelong friendships.
