ODE Sexuality Education Newsletter 

March 15, 2022 

Dearest colleagues, 

We hope that this mid-month newsletter finds you all well, celebrating Women’s History, and anticipating a spring reprieve. Women’s History Month continues to give us opportunities to support our students reflecting on their own identities and experiences–  both on their own and in relation to one another. Asking students to think about the women in their own communities who have influenced or inspired them can guide positive self identity development: a cornerstone of sexuality education. This year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”, can weave into our health & sexuality education classes by encouraging a similar student-centered discussion, how have the women and girls in your students’ lives been a force for healing and hope? March is also Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The 2022 theme, “Worlds Imagined”, focuses on how the world is changing as we move through and beyond the pandemic. Check out this year’s social media campaign, featuring the artwork of Calvin “Sonny” Clarke. You can also find more events related to supporting people with I/DD in the events section of this newsletter. And, finally, inclusive resources from partners in Oregon may spark inspiration in your sexuality education classes: Oregon Health Sciences University, in partnership with OHA, supports Oregon high school transition programs to teach skills that promote sexual health and healthy relationships, using the Friendships and Dating Curriculum, from the University of Alaska. Multnomah’s County’s Sexual Health Equity for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (SHEIDD) program has many sexual health resources on the OHSU resource hub, including Guidelines for Supporting the Sexual Health of People Experiencing Developmental Disability.

In this newsletter, we will share with you some announcements, research, resources, and opportunities for training by ODE, as well as other offerings by statewide and national colleagues that may be of interest to you. 

Header photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash, Newberg, OR

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

Sex Ed News & Resources 

ODE is committed to supporting school districts with implementing Oregon Human Sexuality Education (OAR 581-022-2050), which 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." Our collective goal is for all students to feel safe, seen, heard, and valued. 

Please see below for related news and resources that may be relevant as you consider how to implement K-12 comprehensive sexuality education. 

• Sex Education for Boys: A Parent's Guide- Practical Advice on Puberty, Sex, and Relationships, A new book designed to help parents and caring adults with the talks about puberty, sex, and relationships.
• Would You Like FRIES with That?, Healthy Teen Network, 2/17/22.
• Talking About Dating and Relationships in the Digital Age, Responsible Sex Ed Institute, 3/3/22.
• Disabled People Need Sex Ed Too, Teen Vogue, 2/15/22
• Healthy Relationships and Youth: How School-Based Health Providers Can Start the Conversation, School-Based Health Alliance, 3/1/22

Sex Ed Data & Research 

We have an important responsibility to health and sexuality education by reflecting the lived experiences of students, staff and school communities 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. 

• Weight Bias Hurts Kids, and We're Not Talking About It, Edutopia, 2/25/22
• New Research Shows How Bad the Pandemic Has Been for Student Mental Health, EducationWeek, 1/18/22.
• Federally Funded Sex Education Programs Linked to Decline in Teen Birth Rates, New Study Shows, 2/14/22

Apply to the 2022-23 Health Education Advisory Panel

The Health Education Advisory Panel will work to revise the Health Education and Sexuality Education Standards and Performance Indicators for approval by the State Board of Education. Membership on this panel will require participation in approximately four - six meetings and convenings over the 2022-2023 school year.

Click here to apply and/or share! 

Oregon Open Learning Sexuality Education Resources The Oregon Open Learning Hub is a digital resource repository and collaboration space for educators, administrators, and other educational partners to curate, create, and remix open educational resources (OER). The Hub is a portal to over 50,000 openly licensed resources available on OER Commons, searchable by grade level, subject, and standard.  There are already free sexuality education and health lessons on Oregon’s Health Group and more will be posted very soon. In the meantime, check out the Erin’s Law/Child Abuse Prevention lessons! Want to learn more about OER and the Oregon Open Learning Hub?  Asynchronous learning options include the OER Professional Learning Group on the Hub and the User Guide for Oregon Open Learning.

Upcoming Events, Training & Conference Opportunities

All trainings are listed in Pacific Time zone unless otherwise noted. 

• Oregon My Future My Choice Workshop Series, March 16- May 25, 2022 (free, PDUs available).
  • What’s the ‘A’ again? Asexual-affirming Sex Ed, March 16, 2022 3:30-5pm PDT
  • Emotional Intelligence & Sex Ed, March 30, 2022 3:30-5pm PDT
  • The Case for Porn Literacy, April 13, 2022 3:30-5pm PDT
  • LGBTQ2S+ Identities, My Future, My Choice, April 27, 2022, 3:30-5pm PDT
  • Sex Ed for Youth with Disabilities, May 11, 3:30-5pm PDT
  • Latinx Inclusive Sex Ed, May 25, 2022 3:30-5pm PDT

• Mar 7-17, Virtual After School Programs, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon 
• Mar.16, What, Wait! You Want Me to Talk about Sexuality? A webinar for professionals who work with people with I/DD.
• Mar. 21 - Apr. 13, LGBTQ+ Inclusive and Affirming Facilitation, 5-session virtual instructor-led course, Spark*ED.
• Mar. 23rd 6:00-7:30 PM EDT, Navigating Physical Disabilities: Sexuality and Developmental Disabilities. Learn more and register here. 
• March 29, 2SLGBTQ+ Meaningful Care Conference, Embracing Community Wisdom: A Trauma-Informed Anti-Racist Lens on 2SLGBTQIA+ Health. See the agenda and registration for the day-long virtual training event.
• April 26, 9:00am, Virtual Mental Health First Aid, Lines for Life.

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 opportunities for sexuality education professionals to consider.

Grants, Job Openings, and Youth Opportunities

OHA Calls for Youth Leaders and Community-Based Organizations Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is accepting applications from youth and youth-serving community-based organizations to serve on and/or support a statewide youth advisory council (YAC). With the overarching goal of health equity, this youth council will make decisions on how to invest $1 million to help youth, schools and communities recover from COVID-19 and its many effects. Apply here by March 31, 2022. OHA is also offering $10,000 mini-grants for CBOs to engage with and support the council through individual youth support, mentorship, and/or additional engagement activities (such as focus groups) with the youth the CBO serves. To learn more, please visit OHA’s webpage and/or email adolescent.program@state.or.us with any questions. Apply here by March 31, 2022.

The School-Based Health Alliance is recruiting Board Members The Oregon School-Based Health seeking board members to join their 2022 board. To apply: please send applications by March 23, 2022 to board@osbha.org. More information and an application is available on the website.

Call for Proposals: Healthy Teen 2022 Conference The conference’s theme is Dare to Dream of a New Era and will be hosted on October 17-19, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The deadline to submit all proposals is 11:59 PM ET, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Submit your proposal here. To preview the proposal form, you can download it as a PDF.

Job Opportunity: Equity and Access Coordinator  Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence is hiring and Equity and Access Coordinator. To apply: Send a resume and cover letter to Jobs@ocadsv.org. Job Opportunities: Higher Education Coordinating Commission HECC is hiring a Program Analyst 2 (Youth Program Specialist), a Program Analyst 1 (Youth Program Coordinator) to administer youth workforce programs and a Program Analyst 2 (Outreach & Training Coordinator) to support and promote service, volunteerism, and civic engagement in Oregon. Applications close on 3/21/22.

Job Opportunities: Safe Harbors

Safe Harbors in Wallowa County is hiring a Legal/Crisis Advocate and a Shelter/Crisis advocate. To apply: please email your resume, and cover letter that includes responses to the questions listed in the job descriptions to mel@wcsafeharbors.com. 

Newsletter 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 ode.sexed@ode.oregon.gov.

In an effort to streamline our newsletter, we are now planning to send out our newsletter twice a month, during the first week and again mid-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, for inclusion and consideration in the following month (e.g. submit October 25 for November newsletters). 

Questions? Connections?

Please reach out to us at ode.sexed@ode.oregon.gov.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Want to stay connected with sexuality education at the Oregon Department of Education? Visit our website or subscribe to the ODE Sexuality Education ListServ today!