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:
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.
This training will walk participants through current Michigan law and policy as it relates to sex education in K-12 schools. We will review content requirements and spend time on Sex Education Advisory Boards (SEABs), the groups that set goals and objectives and review and recommend curriculum for their local school districts. We will share the most up-to-date, evidence-based information on sex education - content specifics, facilitation strategies, scope and sequence, outcome indications, and more. Finally, we will discuss best practices for SEAB establishment and functioning.
In this training, participants will:
Many students in our schools identify as a gender or sexual minority. A 2020 survey found that 40% of LGBTQ respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months, with more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth having seriously considered suicide (Trevor Project, 2020). Participants will identify ways to support gender and sexual minorities in their schools and learn skills for being a more inclusive educator.
Engaging with young people in a meaningful way is vital to the success of schools and programs. Join us to learn practical tips and tricks to increase your engagement both in the classroom and virtually.