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 111 - 115 of 154Virtual PD - Managing Students' Values When Teaching Sex Ed
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 simulated classroom, the educator will practice Managing Students' Values When Teaching Sex Ed with the student avatars. In this VPD scenario, the participant will conduct a values continuum activity with an established classroom community. In this simulation with the five students, the educator will ask students to respond to the statement: “It’s OK for students our age to have sex, as long as they use protection.” The participant will need to demonstrate the ability to respond to students’ conversations and questions regarding personal values when teaching about sexuality.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to respond effectively to students’ values-based comments and questions. (S)
Whether you are building support for a new program or service or working to sustain an existing program or service, it’s important to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, as well as use effective messages and delivery strategies to mobilize diverse audiences to promote adolescent health.
On a national level, Healthy Teen Network's advocacy efforts are focused around promoting and advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs and services as critical to the well-being of our nation. Healthy Teen Network understands the need to maintain a spotlight on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and promote understanding of the interplay of the environment on sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Want help in your efforts to build support for programs and services? Healthy Teen Network can work with you to…
Develop campaigns, strategies, and materials to support public policy changes at the state or local levels on issues relevant to youth.
Build support and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, developing positive community engagement.
Write winning grant proposals in support of your fund development efforts.
Share your successes and tell your story, using strategies such as data visualization.
And more! Reach out to Healthy Teen Network to start a conversation to get the policy support you need.
Addressing Trafficking in School
In this eLearning unit, learn how, as an educator or school employee, you can identify signs that a student may be experiencing or vulnerable to sex or labor trafficking. This unit employs stories, interactive dialog, quizzing, and video to promote learning. Suggested prerequisite: Human Trafficking 101.
Through Healthy Teen Network’s partnership with the University of Maryland School of Social Work’s Prevention of Adolescent Risk Initiative, we are pleased to share resources on human trafficking. Although these resources are focused on specifics for the state of Maryland, anyone from any state can learn about human trafficking as well.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three distinguishing characteristics between healthy and unhealthy relationships, involving family, friends, and/or romantic partners.
- 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)
- 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)
Implicit Bias
The purpose of this training is to:
- Define implicit bias.
- Identify the impact of implicit bias in the school setting.
- Share strategies for disrupting or reducing implicit bias in the school setting.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Define conscious and unconscious bias and explain how they could influence one’s teaching of sex education.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Describe three impacts that conscious and unconscious bias could have on cross-cultural interactions when teaching sex education.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Describe three strategies to reduce the impact of conscious and unconscious bias and enhance cross-cultural interactions in the classroom when teaching sex education.
Additional Trainings offered by out-of-state organizations
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Engaging Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth in Conversations About Sexual Health
My Life My Choice (MLMC) and Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) have merged their respective expertise in commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and sexuality education to create an evidence, trauma, and survivor-informed training designed to help a wide range of youth service providers use intentional and inclusive language to begin conversations with young people about sex and sexuality that reflects the realities of their lives. Application link here.
- Indicator 3 (6-12): Describe the differences in mechanisms of action and access between emergency contraception and the abortion pill.
- 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)
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Explain the roles and responsibilities of a mandated reporter.
- Indicator 5 (K-12): Explain the state- and district-mandated reporting requirements and procedures.
- 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 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 7 (6-12): Identify three medically accurate and youth-friendly resources for STD/STI and HIV prevention, testing, and treatment
- 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): 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)




