March 19, 2024 

Dear Colleagues,

March is National Women’s History Month, an opportunity to explore the many contributions women have made throughout time that have enriched communities and advanced public health. This month can provide a time to analyze how women have been historically underrepresented in medical research, especially in the area of reproductive health, and how this exclusion has resulted in the gender health gap. It could also be a time to explore the history of reproductive rights and reproductive justice, alongside current events related to access to in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

March 31st also marks International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), an annual day of recognition dedicated to celebrating the resilience, courage and accomplishments of transgender and gender-expansive people, while simultaneously working towards a world where everyone can thrive in their unique identities.

Many students in Oregon, especially gender expansive youth, school staff, and communities are experiencing grief, fear, alienation, and uncertainty after the death of Nex Benedict in Oklahoma on February 8th. Oregon’s Guidance for Supporting Gender Expansive Students outlines legal requirements and offers comprehensive strategies for creating affirming educational spaces for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students. This resource is designed to help schools adopt best practices in policy, communication, and curriculum that respect the dignity of all students, and ultimately work to prevent violence in schools. Affirming that people of all genders deserve mutual respect and kindness is a cornerstone of school communities where all students feel safety and a sense of belonging. 

For classroom resources and professional learning opportunities for Women’s History Month, International Transgender Day of Visibility, and assisted reproduction, see the Educator Resources section below.

Header photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash, Newberg, OR

Section photo by Yan Liu on Unsplash, Seattle, WA

Interested in learning more about the new components of the 2023 Health Education Standards? The newly published 2016/2023 Health Standards Comparison document communicates changes in health topic and subtopic areas, K-12 learning progressions, skills focus areas, integrated Transformative Social Emotional Learning Standards, and information about the evaluation and adoption criteria of K-12 health education instructional materials.

Reminder:  Menstrual Dignity for Students Reimbursements

The purchasing period for Menstrual Dignity for Students has begun. Funding agreements will be sent out very soon for the 2023-25 biennium. The Menstrual Dignity for Students Team strongly encourages all programs to submit reimbursement forms for the 2023-24 school year ahead of receiving agreements. This will expedite the process once contracts are received. This calculator shows how much each program will receive by ADM. For more information, please see the Menstrual Dignity for Students Toolkit.

Registration Open for Joining Our Youth (JOY): A School Health Services Conference- April 22-23, 2024 in Corvallis, Oregon 

Oregon School-Based Health Alliance (OSBHA) is partnering with the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families to host the Joining Our Youth (JOY): A School Health Services Conference on Monday April 22 and Tuesday April 23, 2024 at Oregon State University (OSU)'s Memorial Union in Corvallis, Oregon. This year, CME and CE credits from the Weitzman Institute will be provided. OSBHA is partnering with clinicians, community partners, SBHCs, educators, and most importantly, youth to bring attendees important content on school health services. Agenda coming soon! 

Contact Hannah Smith at hannah@osbha.org for questions.

Register for the Joining Our Youth (JOY)