Connections Matter is a training designed to engage community members in building caring connections to:
- Improve resiliency,
- Prevent childhood trauma, and
- Understand how our interactions with others can support those who have experienced trauma.
The Sex Education Collaborative Training Hub lists trainings for sex educators, facilitators, and other professionals on best practices for sharing important information with clients and the public. From teaching anatomy inclusively to effectively addressing bias in the classroom to addressing racial justice and equity in sex education, the Training Hub includes trainings, technical assistance, and policy support from state, regional, and national leaders in the field of sex education.
Please note: The Training Hub includes both in-person and online professional trainings. If you see a training you are interested in and it isn’t listed as virtual, please reach out directly to any of our members to find out what's possible!
Connections Matter is a training designed to engage community members in building caring connections to:
LGBTQIA+ students have the right to a safe and healthy learning experience in the state of Michigan. Students and educators, however, are often unaware of these rights. In this training, participants will identify and state the implications of key legal and policy issues affecting LGBTQIA+ students and safe school environments in Michigan.
In this training, participants will:
The Sexuality Education Cornerstone Seminar (SECS) is our most popular training opportunity for foundational information about sexuality education. SECS is designed for educators, youth-serving professionals, and individuals interested in entering sexuality education and are seeking a basic foundation of knowledge in sexuality and sexual health information that they can share with their populations. Participants receive up-to-date information about protection methods, anatomy, puberty, sexual and gender identity, communication, and sexually transmitted infections. They also develop the knowledge, skills, and practice needed to deliver information and answer questions related to sexuality. Each session of this lively, interactive, three day seminar combines discussion and hands-on practical experience in specific subject areas.
At the conclusion of the seminar, participants of this course are able to:
A certificate of participation is given upon successful completion and evaluation of the seminar. This training does not certify participants as sexuality educators, though some professional development and continuing education credits are available.
All people deserve access to medically accurate and developmentally appropriate information related to their sexuality and sexual health. Yet often, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are not included in sex education. Training participants will have an opportunity to identify and examine values, practice intentional language, work on concrete skills for adapting lesson plans, share challenges and successes, and learn best practices for implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) through lecture, peer-to-peer conversation, modeling, and skill-building activities. This full-day, interactive training was informed by a team of multi-disciplinary experts and a focus-group of youth self-advocates. We hope you can join us for this brand-new training intended for educators, service providers, and anyone who is working directly with individuals with IDD. Registration link here.
Many LGBTQIA+ youth thrive in school, relationships, and their communities, but it is important to recognize that LGBTQIA+ youth are also at high risk for experiencing violence and bullying and have disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, depression, and substance abuse. Comprehensive and inclusive sex education can help improve these outcomes for all youth. This training will provide an overview of the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQIA+ youth and allow participants to discuss and practice strategies to promote more inclusive classrooms and curriculum.
In this training, participants will:
This full-day training is for educators who are newly tapped to teach sex education to teach them the necessary foundational skills. We will cover group rights, setting the classroom tone, managing potential challenges, establishing appropriate boundaries, and exploring personal values as they relate to teaching about sexuality. Participants will leave this training with an increase in knowledge, skills, and comfort to successfully teach sex ed. Registration link here.