Category: Professional Development

Back to In-Person Training

Greetings CAPP, PREP, and SRAE Family,

Since March of 2020, we have worked with you all more intimately than ever. You have shared your success and heartbreaks with us, allowed us into your homes, introduced us to your family (those with fur and those without), and treated us with kindness and understanding when we struggled. It all has been a very humbling and an incredibly human experience.

Thank you.

And now, two and a half years after what we thought would be a “two-week break,” we begin to ease into a version of “before.”  For the Training and TA team, this means a return to some in-person trainings and observations, to start with. Like you, we have learned a lot about programming and participants during this time. Moving forward, you may see changes in the way we offer trainings and webinars, as we look for the best methods to bring you the high-quality trainings you are used to, both practically and efficiently.

Specifically, we will be:

  • Piloting different structures of some trainings,
  • Returning to a 4-6-month training calendar,
  • Reducing the number of monthly Learning Communities, and
  • Scheduling observations of programming on-site.

We know the return to in-person training may cause a little anxiety for some of you (us too!), but please be assured safety is a priority.

Over the next couple of weeks, as we roll out the longer training calendar, please keep in mind the following:

  • We try to offer one downstate and one upstate option for each training. Generally, upstate will take place in Ithaca and downstate in Manhattan.
  • We can also offer on-site training with enough participants, space, and planning. Supervisors, please reach out to me if you’d like to discuss this further.
  • We cannot offer both virtual and in-person options for every training.
  • For in-person trainings, we will be prioritizing registration to new staff/those who have not gone through the training/workshop before. If there is a large response to any training, we will look to offer a second option soon after.

Finally, we thank you in advance for your patience and invite you to a larger discussion we will be having around what to expect with our return to in-person trainings during an office hours session with the Training Team on Thursday, September 8, at 10:00. Register here.

Thank you and hope all is well,

~ Heather Wynkoop Beach, Director of Training and Technical Assistance

What Did You and Your Colleagues Have to Say about the 2021 BWIAH Provider Meeting?

Thank you to all who completed evaluations for the 2021 BWIAH Provider Meeting! Here’s a snapshot of what CAPP, PREP, and SRAE folks thought about how it went overall, with some ACT for Youth perspective salted in here and there.

What are the best months for your group to attend the BWIAH provider meeting? (Check all that apply).

CAPP, PREP, and SRAE respondents indicated that the best months are May and July, closely followed by August.

  • This result was a bit different from the other providers that participate in the event. For everyone else, May has little competition.
  • In comments, a couple of people pointed out that it is difficult to have the event during the school year. Nevertheless, May continues to be the clear winner for the Provider Meeting. The ACT for Youth training team has taken note of the popularity of the summer months for professional development and may be able to shift some trainings to the summer next year.

Do you prefer a free virtual or an in-person meeting with a registration fee?

Interestingly, 40% of CAPP/PREP/SRAE respondents were neutral on this question, while 36% prefer a free virtual event and 25% prefer to gather in person. In comments, people were certainly torn, missing seeing everyone but appreciating the flexibility of the virtual event.

Overall organization and communication

While the Provider Meeting got high marks overall for its accessibility, clear instructions, advance notice, and registration, there were suggestions for improvements in structure and communication:

  • Schedule: Having the meeting spread out over 4 days was not entirely popular. Some folks also commented that an hour between sessions was too long. Given the comments, people seemed to want a more concentrated event (fewer days, maybe more sessions per day, with less time between sessions.)
  • Emails: There were a LOT! Many people felt they got too many emails. For some, emails went into junk folders. Lesson learned: have fewer reminder emails from the event service and be sure that a few key instructions come from ACT for Youth.

CAPP/PREP/SRAE provider group meeting with DOH program advisers

While 66% of participants found this meeting valuable, there were some suggestions for next time. Stating the purpose of the meeting up front would have been helpful. Some of you would have liked to hear more of an update from DOH on what is happening around the state, and some wanted more of a focus on program issues. In general the evaluations showed that people do want more contact with their DOH program advisers.

Overall Content

There were lots of nice comments about the content and presenters overall, such as “I loved the sessions that I attended and thought that the presenters were excellent.” Many people asked about recordings, and you can find everything that was recorded, along with slides, on the 2021 BWIAH Provider Meeting web page.

Of course, we can always improve!

  • Lack of content warnings was problematic in a number of the presentations. Considering our theme was trauma, that was not very trauma-informed!
  • A couple of commenters pointed out that we may have gone in too heavily on the theme—they would have appreciated a wider variety of topics.

Looking Ahead

Thank you again to everyone who completed the survey! Don’t see your opinion represented here? You can leave it in the comments—and remember to fill out the evaluation next year. We really do listen! Planning for next year is underway and we are using your feedback as a guide.

Karen Schantz

~ Karen

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.

Online Lecture Series from American Journal of Sexuality Education

In case you are interested in this professional development opportunity, below is an email we received about a July lecture series on sexual health education. (ACT for Youth is not associated with this series.)

Throughout July, the American Journal of Sexuality Education is hosting an online lecture series on Wednesday evenings. The cost is $25 per session. If you are interested in attending any of the lectures, the details are at https://bit.ly/AJSESignUp.

Need a discount or scholarship? Please fill out the form here: https://bit.ly/AJSELectureDiscounts

July 15, 6 pm to 7 pm eastern

Benefits of Professional Development for Sexuality Professionals: An Educator’s Perspective

Speaker: Tanya M. Bass

As part of my dissertation work I am assessing the professional development needs of community based sexuality educators. In my experience, some conference and workshop planners rarely determine if their offerings will be of benefit to the attendees. Sitron and Dyson (2009) describe the goal of professional development for sexuality professionals as that of gaining a sense of self-awareness through assessing personal attitudes that may influence their practice. They found that skills (e.g., diagnostic tools, therapeutic techniques, education strategies, and preventative procedures) along with knowledge and awareness increase through participation in professional development. I would like to examine the pros and cons of professional development such as conferences and webinars during this talk.

July 22, 7 pm to 8 pm eastern

Factors That Impact College Students’ Perceptions of Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction

Speakers: Susan Milstein, Taylor Elizabeth Hilliard, Scott Ball St. Hall, David Knox, and Genevieve Hunter

It is important to understand how people experience pleasure and sexual satisfaction with a partner, as these phenomena can impact how they view their relationships, themselves, as well as the role of sexual activities within relationships. Three hundred and four undergraduates at East Carolina University and California State University Chico who reported having at least one sexual experience with a partner completed a 45 item survey assessing social correlates of sexual pleasure and sexual satisfaction. Learn what the analysis found about relationships and sexual pleasure.

July 29, 6 pm to 7 pm eastern

Talking Vulva: What Every Sex Educator Should Know

Speaker: Dorrie Lane

“In this workshop, I’ll provide tips for sex educators on how you can incorporate the Vulva Puppet in your practice to help alleviate the discomfort and open your educational sessions with the full attention of your audience. I’ll use the Vulva Puppet to demonstrate a Pelvic Exam, provide information about the G spot, and provide a link to the Vulva Map.”

Positive Youth Development 101 Web Series

At a time when face-to-face trainings are not feasible, please join us for a series of webinars exploring positive youth development (PYD) and its core principles and strategies. Drawing from the PYD 101 training curriculum we will introduce updated material and new resources. Although the PYD 101 training was developed with professionals new to the field of youth work in mind, it may serve as a good refresher for experienced youth work professionals.

July 7 at 10:00AM – PYD I: Foundations

In this webinar we will define positive youth development and explore key theoretical frameworks and research findings. We will also summarize the current understanding of adolescent development.

Register for PYD I here.

July 10 at 10:00AM – PYD II: Positive Youth Development Outcomes

One important principle of PYD is to focus on building positive youth outcomes instead of preventing or fixing problematic behavior. We will take a look at different outcome models. In addition, we will discuss and practice strategies for building positive outcomes through a strength-based approach.

Register for PYD II here.

July 14 at 10:00AM – PYD III: Youth Voice and Engagement

Another key principle of PYD is youth voice and engagement. We will explore ways to provide young people with meaningful roles and responsibilities. Authentic youth engagement, however, does not happen without addressing barriers such as adultism and other forms of adult resistance.

Register for PYD III here.

July 21 at 10:00AM – PYD IV: Youth Development Programming

In this final webinar we will review features of effective youth development programming, reflect on inclusive program environments, and explore youth-centered learning approaches and resources.

Register for PYD IV here.

Jutta Dotterweich

~ Jutta

May Training Calendar

The full May Training Calendar is now online, chock full of selections for your professional development during quarantine. Register through the calendar by clicking on any event that catches your eye.

I want to highlight a special web meeting that will presented for us by Regina Firpo-Triplett of dFusion/ETR: Introducing SkillFlix. SkillFlix is a web-based application specifically designed for educators who teach sexual health to adolescents. It is centered around a streaming library of brief videos that model critical educator skills and micro-skills using real-life scenarios. The scenarios focus on answering sensitive questions and being inclusive of LGBTQ youth. This virtual professional development tool will be made available to CAPP, PREP, and SRAE from mid-May through mid-July only. Register for the May 14, 2pm Introducing SkillFlix meeting to find out more and learn how to access this excellent—but time-limited–resource.

Also, the popular Reading Club is back beginning May 15. We will post reading selections (and sometimes a video) each Monday on the blog. If you have articles to suggest, please let us know any time!

Jutta Dotterweich

~ Jutta

First Week of May: Virtual Provider Meeting!

We had to postpone this year’s provider meeting in Albany, but thanks to your colleagues’ willingness to step up we are bringing you a Virtual Provider Meeting! During the first week in May, everyone is welcome to choose from any of the offerings below, or come to them all. There is no limit on the number of staff who may participate. (With so many other choices, there will not be a meeting of the reading club this week.)

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

9:30 AM

Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study

Presented by Amanda Purington, ACT for Youth
Join Mandy for a deep dive into what we learned from young people and practitioners in New York State.

Register here for Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

9:00 AM

ACEs and Resiliency

Presented by Jutta Dotterweich, ACT for Youth
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) changed how we think about trauma and support for people who have experienced or live with trauma. Similarly, resiliency studies have altered how we understand people’s ability to overcome adversity. In this webinar we will draw on key findings of both investigations to identify themes and strategies that will help us support young people as they navigate the traumatic experiences of living through the COVID-19 crisis.

Register here for ACEs and Resiliency.

10:30 AM

Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For

Presented by Heather Wynkoop Beach, ACT for Youth
In the everyday world, self-care can easily become an afterthought. Seven weeks into a global pandemic, it is right up there with food, shelter, and Netflix. Spend an hour with us learning small–and maybe even some unconventional–self-care strategies to help you make it through.

Register here for Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For.

2:00 PM

Panel: Current Social Media Outreach Efforts

Presented by staff from Community Health Care Network, AIDS Community Resources, St. Lawrence Health, and Center for Community Alternatives
Find examples of how providers are using social media here: https://bit.ly/capp-prep-social-media

Register here for Current Social Media Outreach Efforts.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

9:00 AM

Growing Youth Educators: Teaching Beyond the “Manual”

Presented by Teresa Casullo, CAPP Manager Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Region 2 (formerly Mohawk Hudson)
The goal of the session is to provide professionals who work with peer educators or youth groups the space to learn how to deepen training and support for our most valuable resource: young people, and adequately prepare them with the skills and confidence to respond to the broad range of informational and value-based questions they may encounter. Both seasoned and new youth group leaders are welcome to learn and share experiences.

Register here for Growing Youth Educators.

10:30 AM

Talking Pleasure: Creating Opportunities in Sex Education to Incorporate Pleasure

Presented by Ema Eyasmin (she/her), Youth Programs Coordinator, and
Dolores Polanco (she/her), Senior Sexuality Educator,
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York
This workshop will share innovative strategies Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Education and Training Department has used to create spaces outside of traditional workshop settings for meaningful discussions about pleasure. We will share how activities, such as interactive games, and programming, such as our “pop-up”-shops-styled outreach and our TED-talk-styled college tours allowed us to engage youth in pleasure and sexual health conversations. Participants will also develop one idea to incorporate pleasure into their own programming.

Register here for Talking Pleasure.

2:00 PM

Building Bridges: Fostering Positive Youth Development Through School and Community Engagement

Presented by Genesis Ramos and Margot Balzer, Hudson River Health Care
Positive youth development requires a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach in order to close gaps and create enabling environments. In this workshop the importance of school and community engagement will be discussed, as well as best practices in achieving successful engagement. Ways to be responsive during COVID-19 will be discussed as well. Participants will also explore why working together enhances programmatic outcomes beyond grant requirements and organizational missions.

Register here for Building Bridges.

Online Professional Development for Sexual Health Educators

AJSE e-Chats

The American Journal of Sexuality Education is hosting Wednesday evening e-chats…including one tonight! Thanks to Anne Van Der Veer of Northwell Health for alerting us to this opportunity!

All sessions run 6:00-6:30 PM Eastern, and space is limited. April and May topics:

  • April 22: Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Male Circumcision in the United States: Facts, Fictions, and Future Plans, with Michelle Murray and Katherine Allen
  • May 6: Teaching Sex Ed Online, with Karen Rayne (this one is full– scroll down to the bottom of the registration page to indicate your interest if they run it again)
  • May 13: Why those from Faith Backgrounds – such as Muslim Communities – Benefit from and Need Comprehensive, Values-Based Sex Education, with Sameera Qureshi
  • May 20: Hegemonic Masculinity During Parent-Child Communication with Sexual Minority Male Adolescents, with Delmacio Flores
  • May 27: Negotiating Shame, Silence, Abstinence, and Period Sex: Women’s Shift from Harmful Memorable Messages about Reproductive and Sexual Health, with Valerie Rubinsky, Angela Cooke-Jackson, & Jacqueline Gunning

Other Opportunities

If you have ideas for online professional development, please add them in the comments!

~ Karen

Online Professional Development: Things You Can Do in April!

As promised I will share with you online learning opportunities that are posted across the country by different networks and national TA providers.

Leaders of Learning: This course on learning theories is offered by EdX: HarvardX. Faculty from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education facilitate this course until mid-June. It is free; work load 4-6 hours per week; a certificate can be purchased. Starts today.

Staying Connected: How to Foster Student SEL Growth Through Remote Learning: Youth Communications will offer this interactive seminar on Thursday, April 2, 3:00-4:00. The seminar will explore the methods and strategies educators are using to stay connected with students and foster SEL growth during this time.

2020 National Service-Learning Conference: The National Youth Leadership Council is sponsoring this free, virtual conference April 16-17. Register by April 13. Session topics range from youth voice and civic engagement to education equity and reflection.

Motivational Interviewing – Enhancing Engagement & Improving Conversations. This is a two-part webinar, taking place on Monday, April 20 & Wednesday, April 22. You must register separately for each event. This interactive, online training will review and make relevant the key concepts of Motivational Interviewing. Participants will explore how and when to employ this evidence-based practice to support behavior change. Tailored case scenarios will be used to provide hands on, in real time, practice opportunities focusing on substance-misuse-prevention conversations.

Have fun! Stay tuned for more opportunities!

Jutta Dotterweich

~ Jutta