You've had it marked on your calendar for months, and now it's finally here: the 11th annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy!

Tomorrow is the 11th Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and we hope that everyone concerned about teen pregnancy will do what they can to promote this year's fun and informative online activities. Last year's National Day reached more that a half-million people around the country and with the help of our outstanding National Day partners, state and local organizations who are organizing National Day events all across the country, and teens themselves, we hope to reach even more people this year.

The National Day Quiz--featuring a prom-themed storyline and fun stop-motion animation this year--has never looked better and we're really excited about CRUSH!, our new game about overcoming the pressure to have sex. Haven't tried them out yet? Head on over to StayTeen.org now to check them out.

The school year is quickly coming to a close and that means one thing for many teens across the country: PROM! Finding a date, picking the right outfit, and planning a great night are all key parts of the prom experience, but many teens also find themselves dealing with more serious issues--peer pressure, drugs and alcohol, and the decision of whether or not to have sex.

Because of these concerns, prom time can be an especially worrisome time for some parents. Here are a few common-sense tips to help ensure a fun and safe prom night for your teen:

• Communicate your expectations and set boundaries. Good parenting is, in part, based on good communication and that's particularly important come prom night. Talk about your expectations. What behavior is acceptable? What isn't? What are the consequences if they don't follow your rules? Don't be vague. Be clear about your concerns for their health and safety and find out how they plan to avoid situations they might later regret.


• Talk about sex. Don't limit the conversation to one big talk. Instead, have an ongoing discussion about your values and beliefs. Be honest, show respect, and listen to your child. Encourage them to consider the physical and emotional consequences of sex and make sure that they know how to protect themselves. Need help starting a conversation? This year, our popular National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Quiz--available on May 1st at StayTeen.org--asks teens to confront a series of risky sexual situations all set against the backdrop of Prom Night. Ask your teens to take the National Day Quiz, take it with them, and download our discussion guide to get the conversation started.


• Ask the right questions. Here are some questions that you might ask: Who are you going to the prom with? Where is the prom being held? Who are the chaperones? If you've consented to after-prom activities, make sure you know exactly what their plans are. Where is the after-party? Will there be parents in attendance at the party? Will there be drugs or alcohol at the party? What is the phone number of the place where the party will be held? If you don't like the answers to any of these questions, exercise your right as a parent and don't allow them to go. Make sure you and your teen agree upon a plan well before they walk out the door.


• Stay in touch. Make sure you on stand-by and reachable by phone the entire time your child is out of the house. Establish a few mandatory call-in/text-in times throughout the evening. If your teen has a cell phone, have them set alarms for the check-in times.


• Hands on the wheel. Make sure you know how your teen is getting to and from prom. Know who is driving. Make sure they understand the dangers of drunk driving and distracted driving. If your teen is riding in a limo, check the company's policy on allowing alcohol in the vehicle. Or just call this guy. He's magnificent.

We hope that these tips will help your teen enjoy a happy, safe, and memorable night out and help you enjoy a quiet, stress-free evening at home.

Today is the 10th Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Can you believe that we've been at this for a full decade now? This year marks my sixth leading our National Day efforts here at the Campaign and I've never been more excited for people to see what we have to offer. The National Day Quiz--animated for the first time this year--has honestly never looked better or been more fun to take. And then there's our new game, Invasion of the Myth Monsters, which is pretty addictive. Haven't tried it yet? Head on over to StayTeen.org now to see what all the fuss is about.

We hope that everyone concerned about teen pregnancy will do what they can to promote these fun and informative online activities. Thanks to the hard work of our outstanding National Day partners, state and local organizations who are organizing National Day events all across the country, and teens themselves, the National Day is off to a strong start. Already, tens of thousands of teens have participated by taking the National Day Quiz and playing Myth Monsters at StayTeen.org. The advance turnout for this year's event has been nothing short of amazing and we expect that hundreds of thousands more will participate over the course of the month.

Remember, this year's National Day activities will be available at StayTeen.org all month long, so it's not too late to help spread the word. Want to get involved right now? Here are some easy things that you can do today:

• Take the National Day Quiz and encourage teens in your life to take it as well. Use our discussion guides--available in English and Spanish--to start a conversation about sex, love, relationships, and teen pregnancy today.

• Play Invasion of the Myth Monsters and challenge others to play as well.

• Tweet about the National Day using hashtags #ND2011 or #MythMonster. Not sure what to say? Here are a few sample Tweets that you can easily copy and paste into Twitter:
  
  • Today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy! Encourage teens you know to take the quiz at http://bit.ly/9dB1UZ #ND2011
  • It may SEEM like a normal Wednesday but today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy! Take the quiz at http://bit.ly/9dB1UZ #ND2011
  • What do zombies and preventing teen pregnancy have in common? Find out at http://bit.ly/9dB1UZ... if you dare! #ND2011 #MythMonster

• Update your Facebook status with messages encouraging others to check out StayTeen.org during May. Here are some sample status updates:
  • I'm a Sex Ed Superstar. How do you score? Take the quiz at www.StayTeen.org and find out.
  • Today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy! Encourage teens you know to take the quiz at www.StayTeen.org

• Need some more ideas? Check out the National Day section of our website.

Thanks again to our National Day partners and all of the committed individuals and organizations working to make this year's event a success. The National Day could not be a success without your efforts!

Last week Janet Larson Melugin, creator of the My "Diary Unlocked" movement, interviewed The National Campaign's Senior Director of Policy, Andrea Kane, about why preventing teen pregnancy matters and what people can do to get involved. The interview touches upon trends in pregnancy and birth rates, the challenges of parenting as a teen, tips for parents who want to talk to their teens about sex, the societal impact of teen pregnancy, and more. Listen below, or go to BlogTalkRadio to listen with pictures!