August 2020 – The Hub!

Professional Development Opportunities

Un/Filtered: Sexuality in the Connected Age

With this very timely topic, the Healthy Teen Network annual conference is virtual this year. Special flash sale on registration ends September 4! (You can still register for this November conference at a higher rate after the 4th.) #HealthyTeen20

AJSE Lecture Series

The American Journal of Sexuality Education (AJSE) has announced its September and October lecture series, which begins Wednesday, September 2. The AJSE Lecture Series features authors published in the journal, as well as the journal’s editorial advisory board members and other leaders in sexuality education every Wednesday at 6 pm EST through September, and 7 pm EST beginning in October. September topics are below.

Visit the AJSE Lecture Series page for registration and fees.

September 2

Celebrating World Sexual Health Day: Including Pleasure in Sex Ed without Scaring Anyone

Faculty: Luis Perelman

This presentation will discuss how World Sexual Health Day was established, and how it has been celebrated for than 10 years as a grassroots event. Participants will review the updated World Association for Sexual Health’s Declaration of Sexual Rights, and the Declaration of Sexual Pleasure created in Mexico City in 2019. Participants will discuss how to integrate these materials in sexuality education.

September 9

Boldly Go! Sex Ed in the Star Trek Universe

Faculty: Susan Wright and Bill Taverner

Join us for this sexual enterprise, co-presented by Susan Wright, author of many Star Trek novels, including the first one to introduce gay characters into Star Trek canon, and Bill Taverner, sexuality educator and longtime Trekkie. We will go where no one has gone before, exploring the final frontier: sexuality and education opportunities within the Star Trek universe. Set phasers on fun and engage!

September 16

The ABC’s of Sexuality Education and Autism

Faculty: Stephanie Mitelman

We will discuss sexuality education and autism, and how to adapt materials.

September 23

Leading Conversations about Sexuality Education

Faculty: Dr. James Wadley

As the field of sexuality education continues to evolve, so too must educators and consultants. The expectation may be that professionals be courageous and willing to create spaces of empowerment to lead difficult and sensitive conversations.

September 30

Puberty Education: Building the Foundation for Healthy Sexual Development

Faculty: Wendy L. Sellers, RN, MA, CSE (The Puberty Lady)

We will explore strategies and tools to provide puberty education that meets students’ developmental needs and builds a foundation of sexuality-related knowledge and skills.

Shared Resources from the Peer Educator Training Work Group – August 2020

We wrapped up the Peer Educator Training work group in August with two special meetings.

Peer Educator Training Work Group meeting – 8/12/20 (recording)

In this SHOW US WHAT YA GOT meeting we all had an opportunity to share activities that we use in peer educator training. That part of the meeting starts at about 9:20 on the recording.

Peer Educator Training Work Group meeting – 8/26/20 (recording)

In our final meeting, we heard from peer educators themselves about their experiences, then took time to reflect. The peer educator section begins about 10:40.

Thank you to all who shared ideas and resources with this work group!

Shared Resources from the Pregnancy Prevention Work Group – 7/9/20

Lauren Jones: How to Use Factile

Project SAFE, NYU Langone

In this session, Lauren introduced Factile, a platform that allows you to create a Jeopardy-style quiz game board online. Thank you, Lauren!

Pregnancy Prevention work group meeting – 7/9/20 (recording)
Lauren’s presentation starts at 8:32

How to Use Factile (slides)Download

Shared Resources from the Healthy Relationships Work Group – July 2020

Luis Gamero: Impact of Positive Male Educators on Developing Young Men

Wildlife Conservation Society

Luis offered his thoughts and reviewed research on how we can better engage youth who identify as male. Thank you, Luis!

Healthy Relationships Work Group meeting – 7/8/20 (recording)
(Presentation starts at 9:16.)

Impact of Positive Male Educators on Developing Young Men (slides)Download

Nioka Shirley and Raven Perkinson: Relationships Presentation

Moshulu Montefiore Community Center

Nioka and Raven asked for feedback on their new presentation for teens on healthy relationships, situationships, and entanglements! Thanks, Nioka and Raven!

Healthy Relationships Work Group Meeting – 7/22/20 (recording)
(Presentation starts at 5:45)

Is it a Healthy or Unhealthy Relationship? (slides)Download

Reading Club Selection for August 21, 2020

We have two brief articles for discussion this week, both focusing on school reopenings and the effects on young people:

The first offers tips to parents:
Child Mind Institute: Teenagers and Reopening.

The second is a provocative opinion piece from NBC News–did the author hit or miss the mark? We’ll discuss.
School reopenings are being touted as good for students’ well-being, but that’s wrong.

Remember to register to join us — talk to you soon!

Virtual Implementation of EBPs: Clarifying a Few Points

Many of you joined us for our web meeting last week on virtual implementation of EBPs. At this point there is still a lot of uncertainty about whether and how we can reach young people to engage them in sexuality education. School re-opening may look very different in each community or city borough. It is also not certain that school staff, administrators, or teachers, are interested in working with you this school year given the complexity of re-opening schools safely. However, together we are moving ahead with planning virtual implementation so that we will have something to offer young people and teachers soon.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning

We will form work groups for three EBPs: Be Proud Be Responsible, Making Proud Choices, and Making a Difference. (TOP and Project AIM developers have provided us with virtual implementation guidelines and material. We will be meeting with providers who selected TOP and Project AIM separately.)

We propose to develop one template for asynchronous learning and one for synchronous learning.

Asynchronous learning refers to providing curriculum via platforms such as Google Classroom or Schoology where young people will study online following teacher instructions. They can do this individually at their own pace, working and submitting responses online using the platform.
Synchronous learning refers to providing curriculum live online via platforms such as Zoom or Skype where young people sign in at the same time and participate in activities online.

The material we develop in the work groups will be available on the website. Once you know if and how you can access young people in schools or through community-based organizations, you can tailor these materials for your site. We will develop fidelity guidelines and will ask you to submit your online curriculum for review before you implement.

Develop online EBP material on your own?

You are welcome to work with your local project team to develop online material for any of the EBPs you usually implement. As mentioned above we will develop fidelity guidelines and ask you to submit your online curriculum for review.

Documentation in the ORS? Entry and exit surveys?

We are still working on adjusting the Online Reporting System (ORS) to the different virtual implementation processes. Similarly, we are still discussing how to administer the entry and exit surveys required for PREP contracts.

Incentives for virtual implementation?

If implementation is not part of a virtual school classroom, CAPP and PREP providers may use incentives. You may be able to recruit young people through teachers for synchronous, live implementations outside the virtual school structure. You can use incentives for virtual implementation for community-based agencies and afterschool settings. At this time incentives are not allowed in the SRAE initiative. We will advocate for incentives for virtual implementation for SRAE contracts.

Continue current virtual efforts (non EBP-based)?

You can continue your current social media efforts to engage youth with sexual and reproductive health and healthy relationship information as well as continue Component 2 virtual programming. Again, we recognize that some of you may not be able to work with the schools to deliver EBPs virtually. Schools may set different priorities at this time.

ETR Resources

Online learning requires different techniques to keep young people engaged and motivated to learn. ETR, the purveyor of many EBPs including Be Proud Be Responsible, Making Proud Choices, Making a Difference, Reducing the Risk, and Cuídate, has made available a set of resources / tip sheets to guide the translation of EBPs to virtual platforms.

Adapting Teaching Strategies for a Virtual Environment

Adapting Trauma-Informed Practices to a Virtual Environment

Alternative Video Guidance

~ Jutta

Sharing Pride: All it Takes is One Video

Guest writer Lumesh Kumar is Senior Health Educator for CAPP/SRAE Programs at BronxWorks.

I have been working remotely from home and unable to facilitate the CAPP program to teens in person. My team and I were tasked with creating videos related to a variety of health topics. This was a unique opportunity to step away from the evidence-based intervention and have a bit of freedom and ability to put my spin on what I was presenting.

In June, National Pride Month, I wanted to create a video that would increase young people’s knowledge on the topic of LGBTQIA+. I created two videos: the first was an overview of the acronym LGBTQIA+ and the second was a history and trivia game. I was content with my audience being adolescents but I thought “why not expand this to the adult population?”

As the co-chair of the Health Committee at BronxWorks, I was able to secure a spot with the training department to facilitate my live webinar as a professional development webinar open to all staff.

In the live webinar for BronxWorks, I provided a brief overview of each letter in the acronym LGBTQIA+, including symbols and flags associated with the acronym. I discussed gender, gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex just to name a few. After that, I played a trivia game where the staff learned about LGBTQIA+ history.

The staff who attended the webinar enjoyed and learned a lot of new information. Staff in the training commented on how informative this webinar was and wanted it to be something that all staff members were required to complete. The training department is considering this webinar to be part of the on-boarding process for new staff!

When creating these videos I intended to reach youth to increase their knowledge on what the LGBTQIA+ acronym means. Unknowingly I was able to reach 40+ staff at my organization with the potential of reaching all new incoming staff.

Below are my two recorded videos (temporarily hosted on the ACT for Youth Vimeo account). Please feel free to share with staff, parents, and teens!

Where’s Your Pride: A Guide to LGBTQIA+

Test Your Knowledge: LGBTQIA+ Trivia

Thank you.

~ Lumesh Kumar

Shared Resources from the Pregnancy Prevention Work Group – 6/25/20

Brennan O’Rourke: Facilitating Live Over Zoom

Project SAFE of Family Health Centers at NYU Langone

In the June 25 meeting, Brennan O’Rourke demonstrated interactive ways to use Zoom with young people. “The work is the same, it’s just the platform that’s different,” says Brennan, “so how do I use this platform to my advantage as I work with young people over Zoom?” Their presentation starts at 6:16 in the link below.

Pregnancy Prevention Work Group meeting – 6/25/20 (recording)

Thank you, Brennan!