Connections Matter is a training designed to engage community members in building caring connections to:
- Improve resiliency,
- Prevent childhood trauma, and
- Understand how our interactions with others can support those who have experienced trauma.
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!
Connections Matter is a training designed to engage community members in building caring connections to:
Each of us has experienced some type of trauma, whether it is collective trauma- like a natural disaster- or a personal trauma- like sexual abuse. In the classroom, trauma can show up in ways that look like behavior issues and actions that require discipline. Participants will learn small changes that can make a big difference in the classroom for students who have experienced trauma.
Research with millions of young people shows the power of people from all walks of life committing to do what they can to support all young people’s success. By participating in this highly interactive workshop, parents, educators, mentors, neighbors, youth workers, and community leaders will:
• understand the strengths and supports that are essential for young people’s success in school, work, and life, based on Search Institute’s research on Developmental Assets
• identify qualities of individuals who play powerful roles in young people’s lives
• discover opportunities in their everyday lives for making a positive difference
• make personal commitments to take personal action to support youth success
This training is appropriate for all trusted adults within the community.
Trauma-Responsive Practices in Sex Education will provide participants with information about the prevalence and impact of trauma on the brain and behavior, including the limitations of how trauma is assessed. Utilizing a trauma-responsive approach means that a program, organization, or system “realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization” (SAMHSA). This training will lead sex educators through content knowledge and applicable best-practices for taking a trauma-responsive approach within their classrooms and organizations, including the role trusted adults play in creating an environment conducive to resilience and healing. This training is intended for anyone implementing sexual health education with young people and the supervisors that support them.
We never know what traumas someone has experienced or what could trigger a trauma response for someone. As more and more research has come to show that many young people are experiencing high levels of trauma, it's essential that we work to create safer spaces for young people in schools. This includes ensuring that sex education will not become a re-traumatizing experience for survivors.This training will cover the basics of trauma, small “t” vs. big “T” trauma, and how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can play a part in sex education. We will cover six key principles of trauma-informed sex education and work on strategies to implement in the classroom. This training will have interactive small and large group discussions and provide opportunities for participants to work through scenarios to practice principles they learned in the session.
In this training, participants will:
Unplanned pregnancies are challenging for any population, but particularly for adolescents. When dealing with issues like pregnancy and abortion, teens are often denied the tools to make informed and autonomous decisions. This training will work with participants to identify and set aside individual judgments in order to provide unbiased support to pregnant adolescents. The training will also cover mandatory parental involvement laws, judicial bypass, and how to help minors navigate the judicial bypass system.
In this training, participants will: