SIECUS’ policy team brings to bear 55 years of research-based expertise on comprehensive sex education to ensure that public policies reflect best practices and current research in support of our nation’s young people. Our agenda is simple: SIECUS advances comprehensive sexuality education as a means of building a foundation for a long-term culture shift that will positively impact all levels of society, particularly issues of gender equity, sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, consent, personal safety, and autonomy. Through technical assistance to states, SIECUS’ staff support states in educating advocates and policymakers about providing rights-based sexuality information and education at the federal, state, and local levels and leading, strengthening, and developing partnerships with other organizations, coalitions, and initiatives to advance policies that promote positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes across the lifespan. Technical assistance is focused on meeting a state’s immediate needs in a timely way.
Find trainings in your area:
To locate trainings in your area, use the search fields above. You can search by topic, state, grade band, type of training, as well as in-person or online.
Training Hub
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!
Trainings Offered by State-Based and National Organizations
Displaying results 91 - 95 of 154
Virtual PD - Building Rapport With Students When Teaching Sex Education
Virtual Professional Development is a simulated classroom where teachers can practice teaching student avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they most need to be effective. With upper elementary, middle and high school classrooms, Virtual PD has scenarios for teachers of all grade levels across a wide range of topics aligned with the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE). You can watch the video here (link is external) to learn more about Virtual PD.
Using the Virtual Professional Development classroom simulator, the educator will practice Building Rapport With Students When Teaching Sex Education with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator will teach a lesson on relationships as they try and build a rapport with a relatively new class. After engaging students in a self-reflection activity with prepared questions, they ask students to turn & talk with a partner to share their responses. They then facilitate a share out among the whole class. In this simulation with five students, the participant will need to demonstrate the ability to build rapport with students and intervene in homophobic and other bullying comments and actions when they arise.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to build rapport with students. (S)
Foundations: Core Skills Training for Sex Ed
Cardea, in collaboration with Answer, has developed Foundations: Core Skills Training for Sex Ed. This national training model includes a one-day core skills curriculum, with four supplemental, half-day modules on essential concepts to support sexual health education implementation.
The one-day training address a range of core facilitation skills including:
- climate setting,
- experiential learning cycle,
- values clarification,
- self-disclosure,
- and responding to challenging questions.
The supplemental modules build on the core skills and address:
- trauma-informed facilitation,
- LGBTQ+ inclusive instruction,
- cultural proficiency,
- and other commonly used facilitation strategies.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies for creating culturally responsive classrooms. (S)
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Describe three elements of a trauma-informed approach to sex education.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies of a trauma-informed approach to sex education (e.g. giving trigger warnings before content on sexual assault and allowing students the right to pass as appropriate, etc.). (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe the importance of teachers’ maintaining professional boundaries when teaching sex education.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three factors to consider regarding personal disclosure when teaching sex education
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Demonstrate how to reduce the impact of educators’ passive and/or active personal disclosure on the educational environment. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to build rapport with students. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three student-centered instructional approaches that support a variety of learning styles. (S)
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain the differences between positive vs. shaming approaches to teaching sex education.
- Indicator 4 (6-12): Demonstrate how to use the experiential learning cycle when teaching. (S)
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Describe three effective strategies for practicing skills with students.
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to analyze and tailor lesson plans to match the age, developmental stages, cultural backgrounds, and other identities of students. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Define sexual orientation and sexual identity, including that everyone has both.
- Indicator 3 (6-12): Explain the difference between sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and sexual identity.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Demonstrate the use of inclusive and affirming language. (S)
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to intervene effectively in homophobic and other bullying comments and actions. (S)
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Explain three ways that LGBQ+ youth are at disproportionate risk for health disparities.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons.
- Indicator 9 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies that can be used to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain three reasons why it is important to respond to every question students ask when teaching sex education.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to effectively respond to three different types of challenging questions. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three health (e.g. physical, social and/or emotional) and/or academic benefits of sex education for young people
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Describe state and/or district laws, policies, and standards that relate to sex education where one teaches.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain the differences between personal and universal values relating to sexuality.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Describe how verbal and nonverbal expression of personal values, and comfort with topics related to sex education, could impact one’s teaching
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain the importance of educators refraining from sharing their personal values when implementing sex education.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to respond effectively to students’ values-based comments and questions. (S)
Sexual & Reproductive Health 201
In this training, participants will:
- Explain sex determination and differentiation.
- Explain how the interaction between chromosomes, hormones, and in-utero development impacts the development of reproductive organs and the brain.
- Describe reproductive anatomy and physiology in a gender-neutral and inclusive manner.
- Identify the major organs of the reproductive and sexual anatomy, both internal and external, including those related solely to sexual pleasure.
- Identify the role of the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, and the gonads and their respective hormones in moderating the feedback cycles that initiate puberty and control the menstrual cycle and sperm production.
- Describe the menstrual cycle, including hormonal, ovarian, and uterine cycles.
- Explain the role of the clitoris, g-spot, urethra, vagina, and female ejaculation in female sexual arousal and orgasm.
- Apply this content to conversations with youth in a manner that is medically accurate and developmentally appropriate, using accessible language and terminology.
- Indicator 1 (6-12): Explain fertilization, implantation, conception, and how pregnancy occurs.
- Indicator 1 (K-5): Explain the benefits of teaching young children the medically accurate terms for genitals.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to use medically accurate terms for sexual and reproductive anatomy, including all external genitals. (S)
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain the function of the individual sexual and reproductive body parts and how they typically work.
Virtual PD - Climate Setting When Teaching Sex Education
Virtual Professional Development is a simulated classroom where teachers can practice teaching student avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they most need to be effective. With upper elementary, middle and high school classrooms, Virtual PD has scenarios for teachers of all grade levels across a wide range of topics aligned with the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE). You can watch the video here (link is external) to learn more about Virtual PD.
Using the Virtual Professional Development classroom simulator, the educator will practice implementing Climate Setting When Teaching Sex Education with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator will be meeting with their class for the first time. In this simulation with the five students, the participant will create ground rules, explain why they are needed when teaching sexuality education and reference them when needed. The participant will need to demonstrate the ability to use climate-setting strategies to foster a safe and productive learning environment.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
Additional Trainings offered by out-of-state organizations
- ‹ previous
- 39 of 49
- next ›
Sexual Violence in the Media
The media plays a huge role in how we think about sex and sexuality. Using TV clips, movie scenes, ads and songs, we will explore how the media portrays sexual violence. We will also discuss how we can use the media to have constructive conversations regarding sexual violence in our daily lives.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Describe three strategies for teaching students communication skills.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Describe three strategies for incorporating the positive and negative impacts of communicating through technology into lessons on healthy relationships.