Puberty is a time of physical, emotional, and social changes that can cause some young people great angst. Equipping students with the knowledge and skills about these changes can help them navigate through this challenging time and emerge strong, happy, and healthy. This workshop will provide you with a number of lessons to teach students about the changes of puberty, and will help you improve your skills on addressing this sensitive topic in an inclusive way. This workshop can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your group, school, or agency. All content is aligned with the National Sexuality Education Standards, the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education, and the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education.
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 146 - 150 of 154Puberty 101: Teaching about the Birds and the Bees
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three student-centered instructional approaches that support a variety of learning styles. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three physical, three social, and three emotional changes that occur during puberty.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Identify three practices that students can adopt for maintaining healthy habits beginning during puberty.
Affirmative Consent
Cultural perspectives, organizational policies, and local and national laws are changing to embrace the principle of Affirmative Consent. A culture of consent is one in which it is the norm, not the exception, for all persons to obtain consent prior to sexual experiences. Many educators feel this policy shift is a step in the right direction and has the potential to create positive change.
Affirmative Consent policies can:
- Build communication skills
- Construct a respectful frame about personal choice
- Help prevent sexual assault
- Address negative, outdated gender roles
Objectives of this training:
- Explain how Affirmative Consent contributes to changing youth norms and attitudes around sexual relationships.
- Deliver a pitch to advocate for the inclusion of Affirmative Consent content in educational settings.
- Develop strategies for addressing youth criticism of Affirmative Consent.
- Describe the key messages, critical talking points, and different activities included in the Teaching Affirmative Consent supplement's lesson plan.
- Describe at least three ways to reinforce Affirmative Consent messaging within related activities and classroom discussions.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to effectively respond to three different types of challenging questions. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three health (e.g. physical, social and/or emotional) and/or academic benefits of sex education for young people
Sexual & Reproductive Health 201
In this training, participants will:
- Explain sex determination and differentiation.
- Explain how the interaction between chromosomes, hormones, and in-utero development impacts the development of reproductive organs and the brain.
- Describe reproductive anatomy and physiology in a gender-neutral and inclusive manner.
- Identify the major organs of the reproductive and sexual anatomy, both internal and external, including those related solely to sexual pleasure.
- Identify the role of the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, and the gonads and their respective hormones in moderating the feedback cycles that initiate puberty and control the menstrual cycle and sperm production.
- Describe the menstrual cycle, including hormonal, ovarian, and uterine cycles.
- Explain the role of the clitoris, g-spot, urethra, vagina, and female ejaculation in female sexual arousal and orgasm.
- Apply this content to conversations with youth in a manner that is medically accurate and developmentally appropriate, using accessible language and terminology.
- Indicator 1 (6-12): Explain fertilization, implantation, conception, and how pregnancy occurs.
- 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.
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.
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)




