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.
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 126 - 130 of 167Strategies 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
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)
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)
Sexual and Reproductive Health 101
This training covers the content knowledge that sex education instructors need to feel competent leading discussions about puberty, anatomy, contraception, STIs, HIV, healthy relationships, consent, LGBTQ youth, and more.
- Indicator 1 (6-12): Explain fertilization, implantation, conception, and how pregnancy occurs.
- Indicator 2 (6-12): Demonstrate the steps necessary for effective external and internal condom use and how to access condoms. (S)
- Indicator 3 (6-12): Describe the differences in mechanisms of action and access between emergency contraception and the abortion pill.
- Indicator 4 (6-12): Explain methods of contraception, including the latest medical advances that are popular among young people.
- 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)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three distinguishing characteristics between healthy and unhealthy relationships, involving family, friends, and/or romantic partners.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Explain three ways that healthy relationships can positively impact personal well-being.
- Indicator 1 (6-12): Describe HIV and three common STDs/STIs, and how each can and cannot be transmitted.
- Indicator 2 (6-12): Explain that many STD/STIs do not cause symptoms and the only way to know if you have one is to be tested.
- Indicator 3 (6-12): Explain the benefits of getting tested and treated for HIV and other STDs/STIs.
- Indicator 4 (6-12): Explain three facilitators and three barriers to STD/STI testing and treatment.
- Indicator 5 (6-12): Demonstrate the steps necessary for effective external and internal condom use and how to access condoms. (S).
- Indicator 6 (6-12): Describe the latest medical advances in HIV and other STDs/STIs prevention and treatment.
- Indicator 7 (6-12): Identify three medically accurate and youth-friendly resources for STD/STI and HIV prevention, testing, and treatment
- 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 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 1 (K-12): Describe how puberty prepares the human body for the potential to reproduce.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three physical, three social, and three emotional changes that occur during puberty.
- 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.
- 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 6 (K-12): Explain three ways that transgender and gender expansive youth are at disproportionate risk for health disparities.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of transgender and gender expansive people in lessons.