Advocates staff provides technical assistance, training and resources to national, state, and local organizations regarding youth-centered reproductive and sexual health/rights/justice public policy and communications. Policy staff draft model legislation and policy briefs, track and provide in-depth policy analysis, and can support partners in building out advocacy strategies to improve policies and practices at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition, communications staff can assist with talking points, public speaking training, and training regarding media outreach. Staff is also available to assist organizations wishing to raise the visibility of young people and their experiences and needs through social or traditional media. For more information about public policy assistance contact Diana@advocatesforyouth.org. For more information about communications assistance contact Emily@advocatesforyouth.org
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 154Advocates 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.
Building Support for Sex Education in Schools
What does (and doesn’t) motivate people to listen to messages about the value of sex education? In this mini-course, practice building effective messages by working through real-world scenarios using evidence-based communication techniques.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three health (e.g. physical, social and/or emotional) and/or academic benefits of sex education for young people
Virtual PD - Culturally Responsive Instruction 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 Culturally Responsive Instruction When Teaching Sex Education with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator is teaching a lesson on different kinds of families with their students. After allowing students time to list their own ideas, the educator asks students to engage in a think/pair/share activity to see if they can add to their lists. They then facilitate a brainstorm activity about different kinds of families. In this simulation with five students, the participant will need to demonstrate three strategies for creating culturally responsive classrooms.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies for creating culturally responsive classrooms. (S)
Strategies to Foster Youth Resiliency
Studies of adverse childhood experiences confirm what many of us know from working with young people—children raised in adverse environments are more likely to experience negative developmental outcomes, including teen pregnancy. However, many young people thrive despite the odds. What makes these young people resilient, and what can youth-serving professionals do to help foster resiliency through sexual and reproductive health programs? This workshop is dedicated to answering these important questions. Participants will review current trends in resiliency research, including the connection between resiliency and positive youth development, and examine personal attitudes around what it means to be resilient across different cultural contexts. They explore factors that make young people resilient and develop new strategies for fostering resiliency among youth, including using strengths-based facilitation and implementing support structures.
Objectives:
- Describe how positive youth development can improve youth outcomes.
- Examine personal attitudes about what it means for a young person to be resilient.
- Identify individual qualities associated with resiliency in youth.
- Identify individual educator strategies and agency-level support structures that build resiliency in diverse groups of youth.
- Implement an action plan for developing strengths and improving support structures in existing youth programs.
Visit ETR's Training & TA Form to submit your request and receive cost information.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Describe three effective response strategies when a student or school community member has been hurt or wronged by bias.
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Describe three strategies educators can use to acknowledge and proactively work to mitigate the impact of bias on their students’ sexual health and multiple, intersecting identities.
- 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
Additional Trainings offered by out-of-state organizations
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"They Want Me to Teach What?!" Stepping into the Sex Educator Role
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.
- 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 4 (K-12): Explain the roles and responsibilities of a mandated reporter.
- 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 5 (K-12): Describe three effective strategies for practicing skills with students.
- 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)



