December 7, 2020
Dearest colleagues,
We hope you are settling into a nice rhythm this school year--with the days getting darker it’s a gentle reminder to slow down and take good care of ourselves. The seasonal changes are important guides reminding us that we, too, are a part of nature. Taking time for simple acts that help you reconnect to your natural self can go a long way to boost your mood, improve your health and build your capacity. The team at Resilient Educator have some great free resources on this topic for educators, including this article on building resilience through mindfulness. Check out their page for fun, relevant activities and research tailored to the unique challenges of this 2020 school year.
In this newsletter, we will share with you some of the newly released health and sexuality education guidance, research, resources, and opportunities for training by the ODE, as well as other offerings by statewide and national colleagues that may be of interest to you.
ODE Sexuality Education & Equity Updates
Announcing Funding Opportunity for Openly Licensed K-5 or 9-12 Comprehensive Sex Ed Lessons--Coming Soon!
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is seeking applications from educators, other non-profit groups, businesses, or consortias, to develop openly licensed lessons that cover Oregon’s Sexuality Education Laws & Health Education Standards to be made available on the Oregon Open Learning (OOL) Hub. This project will provide small one-time grants (~$10,000-$20,000) to teams developing free and openly licensed health and sexuality education lessons for grades K-5 or 9-12 for optional use in Oregon schools. Applications will require a short project plan and budget.
Application due date and project timeline will be announced shortly! Keep an eye out for our RFP and application in the coming days.
For more information, please tune into a Q&A discussion on December 14, 2020 from 3:30-4:30. Register here. Or, reach out to Sasha Grenier at sasha.grenier@state.or.us or Andrea Bibee at andrea.bibee@ode.state.or.us with questions.
Oregon My Future-My Choice Grants & Support Available
My Future-My Choice (MFMC) is a comprehensive, medically accurate, inclusive and trauma informed 6th grade sexuality education curriculum. It meets the 6th grade requirements of Oregon’s Health Education Standards, Erin’s Law, and the Healthy Teen Relationships Act to provide age-appropriate sexuality education as an integral part of a health education curriculum.
MFMC staff provide training for health educators, teachers and high school peer educators at no cost. Substitute reimbursement is available to cover the cost of teachers attending MFMC trainings. Additional grant funding may be available to your school district for program implementation. Hard copies of the 6th grade curriculum and materials are provided for free and can also be accessed online. MFMC has also been adapted for comprehensive distance learning.
Please contact Leah Haas if interested in accessing these materials, to request program funding, and for additional information: leah.m.haas@dhsoha.state.or.us
SB 13 Tribal History Courses Available
Senate Bill (SB) 13, now known as Tribal History/Shared History was passed in 2017 and directs the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to create K-12 Native American Curriculum and provide professional development to educators. There are several professional development courses available online for Oregon educators. Follow this link to learn more about SB 13 and the professional development opportunities available!
Sex Ed Data & Research
Health and sexuality education holds an important responsibility to reflect the lived experiences of students and staff in Oregon and in the United States. Below, please find some local and national research and data that tell the stories of young people, especially as it pertains to experiences within educational environments.
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2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Adolescent and School Health
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The Oregon Statewide Report Card (2019-2020). This annual report provides an overview of Oregon’s Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education system including key data on our students, teachers and schools.
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Greater engagement in Gender‐Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) and GSA characteristics predict youth empowerment and reduced mental health concerns. Poteat, V. P., Calzo, J. P., Yoshikawa, H., Lipkin, A., Ceccolini, C. J., Rosenbach, S. B., O’Brien, M. D., Marx, R. A., Murchison, G. R., & Burson, E. (2019). Child Development, November 2020. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13345
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The Need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the United States, The Population Institute, 2020.
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Three Decades of Research: The Case for Comprehensive Sex Education. Eva S. Goldfarb,Lisa D. Lieberman; Journal of Adolescent Health, October 2020
Sex Ed News & Resources
Teaching inclusive sexuality education is a critical piece in our equity work. While we know the Oregon Human Sexuality Education OAR 581-022-2050 requires the use of “inclusive materials, language, and strategies that recognizes different sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expression” that must also be “culturally inclusive,” this work cannot happen overnight. ODE is committed to supporting school districts to provide sexuality education that allows all students to feel safe, seen, and valued.
- "Evidence-Based Support for LGBTQ Middle and High School Students," archived webinar from WestEd, recorded 10/7/20
- "2018 Youth Sexual Health Fact Sheet: Education, Youth Behaviors, and School Safety," 9/23/20, OSPI. Results from the 2018 Healthy Youth Survey and School Health Profiles Survey.
- "Pregnancies, Births and Abortions in the United States, 1973-2016: National and State Trends by Age," Guttmacher Institute, Oct. 2020.
- "Strengthening Comprehensive Sexuality Education Anew: A Commentary," Journal of School Health, Nov. 2020.
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Sex Education Referendum 90 Passes in Washington State, Seattle Times, Nov. 2020.
Upcoming Training Opportunities for Educators
Oregon Teacher Training Institute (OTTI)
We are currently adapting and developing virtual sessions of our OTTI sexuality education training series for the 2020-21 school year. Interested in attending an upcoming virtual training? We’d love to hear more from educators, admin, and other school staff about what your needs and capacity looks like in the 2020-21 school year! Please fill out this 3 minute interest gauging form to make your voice heard.
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S.L.A.M. 4 Youth Conference is a virtual two-day conference that brings together sex educators, therapists, clinicians, frontline workers and more. With a staff solely of color, S.L.A.M. aims to demand better of traditional sex education, and its training opportunities.
- Ally/Advocate Training Camp for Families & Caregivers (January 13-15: 12-5 PM ET/ 9AM-2 PM PT)
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Ally/Advocate Training Camp - Open to All (Jan 19-21: 10 AM-5 PM ET/7AM-2 PM PT)
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Ally/Advocate Training Camp - Open to All (February 6-7: 10 AM-5 PM ET/7AM-2 PM)
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As We Are: Disability Justice and Community Care Conference is a free online conference about disability justice and community care.
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Certificate in Adolescent Sex Education Basics by Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
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Teaching Sexuality & Answering Questions, Upcoming SPARK Training by Washington State OSPI
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Sexually Transmitted Infections, Upcoming SPARK Training by Washington State OSPI
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Teaching from a Trauma-Informed Lens, Upcoming SPARK Training by Washington State OSPI
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Sexual Anatomy and Reproduction, Upcoming SPARK Training by Washington State OSPI
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One Love virtual learning fall sessions for educators and youth include "The Educator Hour" weekly sessions and "The Educator Cohort Series," a free eight-week series supporting healthy relationship education.
Note: Unless hosted or facilitated by The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), these training opportunities have not been endorsed by ODE, but are being shared as relevant and high quality opportunities for sexuality education professionals to consider.
Job Openings and Volunteer Opportunities
Listserv Submission Process
We welcome your submissions to ODE's Sexuality Education ListServ! If you have announcements, job postings, or general questions for your colleagues, you can submit them to Sasha Grenier at sasha.grenier@state.or.us or to Andrea Bibee at andrea.bibee@ode.state.or.us.
In an effort to streamline Listserv messages, we are now planning to send out ListServ messages once a month, during the first week of the month. To accommodate this change and to ensure that we can equitably share announcements from everyone, we're now asking that you submit your Listserv posts no later than the 25th of each month.
Questions? Connections? Please reach out to us:
Sasha Grenier, MPH, CHES (she/her/hers) Sexuality Education and School Health SpecialistOregon Department of Education | Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessmentsasha.grenier@state.or.us | www.oregon.gov/ode
Angie Foster-Lawson, MEd (she/her/hers) Sexuality Education Analyst Oregon Department of Education | Office of Teaching, Learning, & Assessment angie.foster-lawson@state.or.us | www.oregon.gov/ode
Andrea Bibee, JD, MA (she/her/hers) Temporary Program Analyst Oregon Department of Education | Office of Teaching, Learning, & Assessment andrea.bibee@state.or.us | www.oregon.gov/ode
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