Training
VSHEP 1.0
This 5-week course is designed to give educators the skills and information they need to facilitate sex ed effectively. We will meet twice a week for 5 weeks and participants are expected to complete 15-30 minutes of pre-work before each live session. Click here to see a course overview.
By attending VSHEP 1.0, participants also gain access to members-only content on our website, as well as up to 10 office hours sessions for 1:1 support from an RSEI educator. Learn more about the support services we offer here(link is external).
RSEI is committed to providing affordable professional development for our communities. If the cost is prohibitive, please fill out our scholarship request form here(link is external).
Online
Cost - $250-$750 self-serve sliding scale
Length - 10 sessions over 5 weeks
Age Group(s) - Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, Grades 11-12
Topic(s) - Conscious and unconscious bias about race, ethnicity, and culture disclosure, Consent and interpersonal and sexual violence, Contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction, Creating an inclusive and affirming learning environment, Disclosure, Effective teaching strategies, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases/infections, LGBQ+ identities, Puberty and adolescent development, Racial and reproductive justice, Responding to challenging questions, Transgender and gender expansive identities, Sex education in schools, Sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology, Values
State(s) - Alabama,
Alaska,
American Samoa,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
District of Columbia,
Florida,
Georgia,
Guam,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Puerto Rico,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
U.S. Virgin Islands,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming
Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE) Indicators
Conscious and unconscious bias about race, ethnicity, and culture Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Define conscious and unconscious bias and explain how they could influence one’s teaching of sex education.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain how an educator’s personal beliefs about racial and reproductive justice could influence their teaching of sex education.
Consent, Interpersonal and Sexual Violence Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Define consent.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Explain why consent is a fundamental right for people of all ages.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Differentiate between situations in which sexual consent is and is not present.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Identify three youth-friendly resources to assist survivors of sexual assault, abuse, incest, or domestic violence.
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Explain bodily autonomy and how it relates to consent and sexual abuse prevention.
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Explain the impact of childhood trauma on the decision-making and sexual health of students.
Contraception, Pregnancy, and Reproduction Indicators - 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.
Creating and inclusive and affirming learning environment Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (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)
Disclosure Indicators - 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)
Effective Teaching Strategies Indicators - 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.
HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases/infections Indicators - 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 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.
LGBQ+ Identities Indicators - 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 9 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies that can be used to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons. (S)
Puberty and Adolescent Development Indicators - 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.
Racial and Reproductive Justice Indicators - Indicator 3 (K-12): Describe three ways power, privilege, prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes related to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socio-economic status, immigration status, and/or physical or intellectual ability can impact sexual health and reproductive justice.
- 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.
Responding to Challenging Questions Indicators - 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)
Sex Education In Schools Indicators - 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.
Sexual & Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology Indicators - 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.
Transgender and Gender Expansive Identities Indicator - 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.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of transgender and gender expansive people in lessons.
- Indicator 9 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies that can be used to make lessons affirming for transgender and gender expansive people. (S)
Values Indicators - 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)
Training
Navigating the Politics of Public Health: Finding Common Ground in Support of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
In this four-part recorded webinar series, participants will learn how to advocate in support of adolescent sexual and reproductive health with conservative-leaning policymakers and key stakeholders, including:
- strategies for knowing your audience to understand their background and perspective,
- opportunities for finding common ground to work toward a shared goal,
- leveraging the media to increase your public awareness, and
- tactics for identifying and cultivating key messengers and mobilizing your community.
A shifted landscape of new or strengthened power players (particularly, those who lean conservative) at all levels of government, combined with threats to public health investments that our nation’s youth are facing, necessitates a reinvigorated call to public policy action by individuals and organizations that support youth and their families. Build your capacity to navigate the politics of public health and find common ground in support of adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Online
Length - 1 hour per presentation, 4 hours total
Age Group(s) - Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, Grades 11-12
Topic(s) - Effective teaching strategies, Sex education in schools
State(s) - Alabama,
Alaska,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
District of Columbia,
Florida,
Georgia,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming
Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE) Indicators
Effective Teaching Strategies Indicators - Indicator 6 (K-12): Describe three strategies for actively involving parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults in a sex education program.
Sex Education In Schools Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three health (e.g. physical, social and/or emotional) and/or academic benefits of sex education for young people
Training
Virtual PD - Tailoring Lessons to Meet Age and Developmental Levels
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 Tailoring Lessons to Meet Age and Developmental Levels with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator has recently noticed an increase in inappropriate touching happening in the hallways at school. So the participant decides to address this issue through a lesson on personal boundaries with their students. The participant will read various situations aloud asking students whether these situations would violate their personal boundaries or not. The participant will need to demonstrate the ability to analyze and tailor lesson plans to match the age and developmental stages of their students.
Online
Length - 1 hour with up to 5 rotations
Age Group(s) - Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, Grades 11-12
Topic(s) - Effective teaching strategies
State(s) - Alabama,
Alaska,
American Samoa,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
District of Columbia,
Florida,
Georgia,
Guam,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Puerto Rico,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
U.S. Virgin Islands,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming
Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE) Indicators
Effective Teaching Strategies Indicators - 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)
Policy Support
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
State(s) - Alabama,
Alaska,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
Florida,
Georgia,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming
Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE) Indicators
Training
Certificate in Adolescent Sex Education Basics from Rutgers University
The Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is now partnering with Answer to offer a certificate in Adolescent Sex Education Basics. This fully online, 50-hour, non-credit certificate includes eight dynamic and highly interactive workshops and four cutting-edge virtual classroom simulations.
The Rutgers University GSAPP certificate in Adolescent Sex Education Basics includes the following workshops and virtual classroom experiences:
- Workshop: Sexual Anatomy and Response: Getting Under Your Skin
- Workshop: Puberty and Adolescent Development: Growing Pains and Gains
- Workshop: Sexuality ABCs: Abstinence, Birth Control and Condoms
- Workshop: STD Basics: Helping Students Stay Sexually Healthy
- Workshop: LGBTQ Issues in Schools: Celebrating and Supporting Diversity
- Workshop: Pregnant & Parenting Teens: Beyond the Basics
- Workshop: Relationship Skills for Teens: Dating, Mating and Deliberating
- Workshop: Personal Safety: Knowing Signs and Drawing Lines
- Virtual classroom: Personal Comfort When Teaching Sexuality Education
- Virtual classroom: Culturally Responsive Instruction When Teaching Sexuality Education
- Virtual classroom: Trauma-Informed Sex Ed
- Virtual classroom: Tailoring Lessons to Meet Age and Developmental Levels
See https://answer.rutgers.edu/page/aseb_certificate_program/ for more information and FAQs about the certificate program.
Online
Cost - $1,800.00 per person (group discounts available)
Length - 50 hours over 8 months or longer
Age Group(s) - Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10
Topic(s) - Consent and interpersonal and sexual violence, Contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction, Creating an inclusive and affirming learning environment, Effective teaching strategies, Healthy relationships, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases/infections, LGBQ+ identities, Puberty and adolescent development, Transgender and gender expansive identities, Sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology
State(s) - Alabama,
Alaska,
American Samoa,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
District of Columbia,
Florida,
Georgia,
Guam,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Puerto Rico,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
U.S. Virgin Islands,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming
Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE) Indicators
Consent, Interpersonal and Sexual Violence Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Define consent.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Explain why consent is a fundamental right for people of all ages.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Identify three youth-friendly resources to assist survivors of sexual assault, abuse, incest, or domestic violence.
Contraception, Pregnancy, and Reproduction Indicators - 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)
Creating and inclusive and affirming learning environment Indicators - Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
Effective Teaching Strategies Indicators - Indicator 5 (K-12): Describe three effective strategies for practicing skills with students.
Healthy Relationships Indicators - 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 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.
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Describe three ways to help students set and respect personal boundaries in relationships.
HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases/infections Indicators - 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 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
LGBQ+ Identities Indicators - 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 5 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to intervene effectively in homophobic and other bullying comments and actions. (S)
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Identify three credible, medically accurate, youth-friendly resources that can provide information or support related to sexual orientation.
Puberty and Adolescent Development Indicators - 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.
Sexual & Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology Indicators - 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.
Transgender and Gender Expansive Identities Indicator - Indicator 3 (K-12): Define gender identity and sex assigned at birth.
