Advocates for Youth can offer technical assistance on a wide range of topics including district, state, and national policy, best practices in teaching sexuality education, creating more LGBTQ+ inculsive schools and organizations, increasing the capacity of health care providers to meet the sexual health needs of adolescents, youth-adult partnership models, writing curricula, and/or discrete lesson plans, etc. Please contact us so we can learn more about your needs and how we can best support your efforts.
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 106 - 110 of 154Working Effectively with Adolescents
This workshop will help sex education instructors use research on adolescent social, cognitive, and biological development to improve the way they communicate with adolescents. Participants will learn techniques for engaging with adolescents and building buy-in to messages about behavior.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to build rapport with students. (S)
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain the differences between positive vs. shaming approaches to teaching sex education.
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Describe three strategies for actively involving parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults in a sex education program.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three physical, three social, and three emotional changes that occur during puberty.
- 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)
Pregnant and Parenting Teens: The Basics and Beyond
Pregnant and Parenting Teens: The Basics and Beyond will help increase middle and high school health professionals' knowledge on everything from prenatal care to the stages of birth. This comprehensive workshop includes information on teen moms and dads, and their options around abortion, adoption and parenting as a teen.
Format/platform:
- Online Learning Management System (Canvas e-learning), hosted by Rutgers University
- Six-hours of total contact time utilizing videos, podcasts, instructional games, discussion boards, written assignments, presentations, readings, and visual animations
- Asynchronous
- Instructor-led
All content is aligned to the National Sexuality Education Standards, the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education, the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education, and the Areas of Responsibility and Competencies for Health Education Specialists.
- Indicator 1 (6-12): Explain fertilization, implantation, conception, and how pregnancy occurs.
- Indicator 5 (6-12): Describe pregnancy options, including parenting, adoption, and abortion.
- Indicator 6 (6-12): Identify three federal and/or state laws that impact young peoples’ access to effective reproductive and sexual health care (e.g. age of consent for services, confidential access to health care services, and access to condoms)
Creating a Comfortable Climate
This training helps sex education instructors ensure they are using best practices when it comes to setting the tone for discussions, answering questions, preventing challenging situations, and managing them effectively if they do occur.
- 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 4 (K-12): Explain the roles and responsibilities of a mandated reporter.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain three reasons why it is important to respond to every question students ask when teaching sex education.
- 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)
Virtual PD - Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Students Who Are Transgender and Gender Expansive
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 to learn more about Virtual PD.
Using the Virtual Professional Development classroom simulator, the educator will be teaching about pregnancy and reproduction modeling the use of inclusive language for students who are transgender and gender expansive with the student avatars. They will ask the students to think-pair-share myths they’ve heard about how people can become pregnant and have a brief discussion based on their responses modeling using inclusive language related to pregnancy and reproduction. This scenario can be used with our upper elementary, middle or high school avatars.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the use of inclusive and affirming language. (S)
Additional Trainings offered by out-of-state organizations
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GSM, LGBTQ+, GSRD
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.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain how availability of supportive school staff, presence of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), LGBQ-inclusive curricular resources, and the presence of comprehensive, enumerated anti-harassment school policies are related to improved school climate for students of all sexual orientations.
- 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 7 (K-12): Identify three credible, medically accurate, youth-friendly resources that can provide information or support related to sexual orientation.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain how availability of supportive school staff, presence of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), gender-inclusive curricular resources, and the presence of comprehensive enumerated anti-harassment school policies are related to improved school climate for students of all gender identities.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the use of inclusive and affirming language. (S)
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Define gender identity and sex assigned at birth.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Explain how gender identity and gender expression are distinct from each other and from sexual orientation.
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to intervene effectively in transphobic, sexist, misogynistic and other gender-related bullying comments and actions. (S)
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Explain three ways that transgender and gender expansive youth are at disproportionate risk for health disparities.
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Identify three credible, medically accurate, youth-friendly resources that can provide information or support related to transgender and gender expansive people.



