I will proudly say that I identify as a nerd. I love learning new things, exploring topics I’ve never heard of before, and diving deep into the nuances of how things work. Because of my nerdiness, I love professional development trainings. Not only does it feed my thirst for knowledge, but it also allows me to share what I’ve learned with everyone around me, my peers, teachers, young people, and anyone who will listen.

Some people do not share the same kind of enthusiasm, and I can understand their perspective. Teachers, for example, are my primary audience for professional development training, and historically, they have a million other things on their plates. Adding on an hours-long professional development training can feel daunting.

Adding another thing to their never-ending to-do list can be stressful, which is why I believe it’s imperative that, as trainers, we make professional development as stress-free as possible.

I see teachers as real-life superheroes: They get up early for class, stand on their feet all day to teach, then work all night grading papers and prepping for after-school clubs. Adding another thing to their never-ending to-do list can be stressful, which is why I believe it’s imperative that, as trainers, we make professional development as stress-free as possible. Throughout my time training for U Choose, I have learned some strategies to ensure that teachers leave sessions feeling that the training was a good use of their time.

Create a comfortable environment

I have led professional development sessions in a variety of different settings: libraries, old school buildings, auditoriums, and new classrooms with high-tech smart boards. No matter where you end up, it’s important that you make the environment as inviting as possible. If the room is a little warm, try opening some windows to let in a fresh breeze. Turn on some lo-fi music, so when participants walk in, they’re welcomed with the relaxing sounds of chill beats. Greet them with a smile and make them feel seen and special because they are!

Embrace the fidget

Another thing I’ve realized is that when it comes to learning while moving, adults are just young people in bigger bodies. Adults, like our young people, LOVE fidget toys (my personal favorites are tangle puzzles and flip cubes). I enjoy placing a few different fidget toys on their desks and watching them relax as they listen to my presentation. It’s a simple but effective tool for focus and relaxation.

Let them decorate

Another fun tip is to treat the training like the first day of school. On that day, every student gets a name tag and desk tent to personalize, and adults love that, too! Participants really get into decorating their desk tents with their names and doodle fun designs that represent their personalities. Giving them ownership over their space creates a sense of belonging and opens the door for introductions and conversations.

Encourage them to “be the expert”

Sure, the trainer is technically the “expert” in the material, but there is a wealth of knowledge in the room that others (including you!) can benefit from. Of course, the trainer may know the answer, but it’s powerful to turn questions back to the participants and ask what they know about a topic, or whether they’ve dealt with a situation mentioned in the training.

One of my favorite practices during training is establishing group agreements, which are a set of guidelines everyone agrees to follow to ensure the space is safe, respectful, and focused on learning. One of the agreements I always like to include is maintaining a “learning mindset” and leading with grace, curiosity, and patience. I always follow up by reiterating that even though I may be leading the training, I do not have all the answers. I’m always eager to learn from participants and hear about their experiences. This approach also creates a pathway for them to lean on each other. They ask each other questions, get advice, and often exchange contact information, so they have someone to turn to for support. It’s a great way for participants to build camaraderie within the learning environment.

Involve them in the training

Trainings can range from a couple hours to a full day, which means there is often a lot of information to absorb. While there will be times when you need to share a significant amount of content, it’s important to lean away from talking at them and instead involve them in the learning process.

Remember how I said that adults are just like big kids? It’s the same thing here! They want to talk, move around, and have fun. Build time in the training for participants to get out of their seats and engage with others. Put them in small groups, have them act out a scene, or hand them a mic to present a big idea to the larger group. Encourage them to call out answers if you ask them a question. The more they move and interact, the more energy flows throughout the room. Create fun, engaging activities that stimulate their minds and make learning enjoyable.

Ultimately, professional development can be fun, and it’s our job as trainers to make it that way.

When I first started my role here at Healthy Teen Network, I was tasked with being the connection between schools and the organization. There are a ton of teachers across the city who need support teaching the sexual health curriculum. Their comfort levels and experience vary widely, and I wanted to be their first point of contact when they needed a helping hand.

As I prepared to take on this responsibility, one big question kept floating in my mind: How do I actually do this?

Of course, I came in with a bunch of ideas. I asked my colleagues, veteran teachers, new teachers, basically anyone willing to sit down and share what they thought would be helpful.

Support doesn’t look the same for everyone, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Now, as I approach my one-year anniversary at the organization in a couple months, I finally feel like I can answer that question. Support doesn’t look the same for everyone, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But by combining a couple of the ideas that I came up with, I believe we can find ways to better support both teachers and students in the classroom.

Ask the Teacher What They Want (Don’t Assume!)

I believe that before you make any major decisions, the first place you should turn to are the experts: your teachers and students. Don’t assume you know what’s best. Ask them directly.

When reaching out to teachers for input, it’s important to respect their time and demanding schedule. Always ask what their availability is and be flexible. They are constantly juggling a million things, so if the only time they can chat is on a quick Zoom call between lunch and third period, go with it! You will walk away with so much more in a 15-minute conversation with a teacher than you could ever get by brainstorming on your own.

Teachers’ opinions are extremely valuable because they are in the classrooms every day interacting with the students. That makes them the expects on what true support looks like. Plus, there is nothing worse than spending hours developing a resource just for it to go unused. Find out what would be valuable to them and let that inform your decisions.

Utilize the Resources That Already Exist  

Many schools already have support systems in place for teachers and students, but they are often underutilized. Encourage schools to take a closer look at what they already have and focus on making better use of those tools.

One great example is affinity groups like a GSA (Genders and Sexualities) Club. These student-led organizations bring together LGBTQ+ students and allies to create a safe space for young people to build community and organize around important issues. GSAs offer a great space for students to continue discussing topics that were brought up in class in a supportive environment. Plus, the teacher mentors who advise these groups are often the go-to adults that students seek out when they need a safe adult to talk to.

Peer-to-peer education is powerful because it gives students a chance to connect with people their age and ask them questions they might be hesitant to ask in the classroom.

In many cities, the local health department funds youth advisory councils that aim to serve as peer health educators. These students are trained to educate their peers on sexual and reproductive health topics in schools and the community. Get connected with these advisory boards and see what’s on their calendar. They often host fun, educational events specially for young people. Peer-to-peer education is powerful because it gives students a chance to connect with people their age and ask them questions they might be hesitant to ask in the classroom.

These students are also a great resource for teachers. For the past several years, we have invited our youth advisory council to participate in our last professional development day of the year. They speak directly to the teachers and reflect on what their experience learning about sexual and reproductive health was like in the classroom. This feedback helps teachers better understand what students loved and how teachers can improve next year.

Lastly, the local health department also offers other great resources for students and teachers. Many of them are more than willing to visit classrooms and provide condom demonstrations, present on STI prevention, and pass out informative pamphlets. These visits help students learn about health services available to them and remind teachers that they don’t have to have the answers for everything because they can also rely on the experts in the clinics.

Before becoming a parent, I thought parent engagement mostly meant helping with homework or attending sporting events and school concerts. When I started my career in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and began having conversations with young people about bodies, boundaries, and relationships, I started to understand just how crucial parent engagement is, especially in comprehensive sex ed.

Now that I’m responsible for two little humans, what once felt like an uncomfortable or distant topic now feels deeply important, not just for my children’s safety and well-being but for their confidence, values, and understanding of the world. I’ve come to see that active parent and family involvement is a significant part of the not-so-secret recipe that makes comprehensive sex ed work.

Parent engagement in comprehensive sex education holds powerful benefits—not just for families, but for schools and community programs as well.

Parent engagement in comprehensive sex education holds powerful benefits—not just for families, but for schools and community programs as well. For parents, being involved opens opportunities for meaningful conversations at home, building trust, and strengthening the parent-child relationship. It also invites more open communication among parents, teachers, and school administration.

Engaged parents are more likely to understand and support comprehensive sex ed programs in their child’s school, and their input can even help tailor programs to better reflect the needs of the community. Community programs implementing comprehensive sex ed programs benefit, too, by being able to reinforce key messages and skills in a consistent, culturally responsive way—especially when they can collaborate with families and schools. When all three—parents, schools, and youth programs—work together, young people receive a more cohesive, supportive, and impactful learning experience that extends far beyond the classroom.

We can successfully engage parents in comprehensive sex education when we implement thoughtful, inclusive, and culturally responsive strategies. The WISE Initiative outlines effective strategies in the Best Practices for Family Engagement tool kit, a few of which I’ve summarized below.

Invite parents into every stage of the process

Solicit their opinions during the planning stages before any curriculum is selected, so they feel ownership and see their perspectives reflected. Host a family night after a curriculum is selected to engage parents and families, answer questions, and address concerns. Assign “homework” during implementation to encourage conversations at home and ask for feedback after the curriculum is completed.

Communicate with parents through multiple channels

Use email, print and virtual flyers, workshops, newsletters, social media, and virtual events to provide a variety of ways to share information with families. These varied methods allow parents and families to engage with information in a way that works best for them. Additionally, communicating through multiple channels helps reduce the likelihood that information will be missed. Ensure these materials are developed in a culturally appropriate, inclusive way.

Find an advocate

Find an active family advocate or group of parents that will champion the comprehensive sex ed program and curricula. Family advocates can be crucial in leading and garnering support for your sex ed program. Leverage providers or other community advocates to help locate family advocates, and pay attention to who shows up to events and actively engages.

Maybe you’re a teacher looking for ways to encourage more parent-child conversations at home about comprehensive sex ed topics. Or maybe you’re a parent thinking the active family advocate sounds like it’s right up your alley. No matter what brought you here, when parents actively engage in this part of their child’s education—by staying informed, communicating openly, and partnering with schools—we help young people lay the foundation for healthier relationships, informed choices, and lifelong respect for themselves and others.

In 2025, the fight for sex education is more urgent than ever. Join us as we celebrate May as Sex Ed for All Month and voice our commitment to a world where all young people—no matter who they are or where they live—get the sex education they deserve.

Use these talking points for media interviews, public commentary in school board meetings, discussion points in staff training, or everyday conversations!  

Background 

Sex Ed for All Month is a national call to action to ensure every young person has access to comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive sex education. However, in 2025, the fight for sex education is more urgent than ever. 

Sex education is under attack by well-funded, organized groups that seek to strip young people of their right to knowledge and bodily autonomy. From book bans to curriculum censorship, from restrictions on abortion and contraception to attacks on LGBTQ+ students, the same forces driving policies that harm young people are also behind the effort to erase comprehensive sex education from schools. 

Now, more than ever, we must ensure that sex education is valued as a fundamental right.

Schools are ground zero for political battles over education, truth, and democracy. Misinformation and fear-mongering are being used to limit young people’s ability to learn about their own health, identity, and rights—topics that parents overwhelmingly support being taught in schools. Sex Ed for All Month is about telling the truth and showing up for young people. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that sex education is valued as a fundamental right. 

Research shows that the vast majority of parents—regardless of political ideology, religion, race, culture, class, or geography—want their kids’ education to include sex education. Yet many young people are not getting the information and decision-making skills their parents know they deserve. With this in mind, each May we celebrate Sex Ed for All Month—an opportunity to voice our shared commitment to a world where all young people get equitable access to the education and care they deserve. 

This annual observance is coordinated by the Sex Education Collaborative, in partnership with a national coalition of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations committed to ensuring equitable and accessible sex education for ALL young people nationwide. We invite you to join us as we turn up the volume on the messages, practices, and policies that help young people have healthy relationships, make healthy decisions, and have positive health outcomes.  

Each May since 2019, Sex Ed for All Month is an opportunity to voice our shared commitment to a world where all young people get equitable access to the education and care they deserve. We invite you to join us in raising awareness and calling for real investment in sex education in schools and communities. Too many young people fail to receive the sexual health information, education, and access to the care they need to live healthy lives—oftentimes based on who they are and where they live.  

While May was formerly known as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the shift to Sex Ed for All Month marked a dramatic turn away from what was previously often stigmatizing and problematic messaging. Instead, we want to stand with young people, so they have the power and the right to access the sex education and health care they need to achieve the best positive outcomes for themselves. 

Main Message 

Comprehensive sex education is a pro-freedom issue.

Comprehensive sex education is a pro-freedom issue. It ensures that young people have access to facts, not fear; information, not misinformation. Yet across the country, censorship and extremism threaten young people’s right to learn. 

We must reject state-sanctioned ignorance and fight back against efforts to erase honest, inclusive education. This is about more than just sex education—it’s about ensuring every young person can access the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to lead healthy, informed, and empowered lives. 

Sex Ed for All Month is about ensuring every young person—no matter their zip code, gender, race, or income—has access to the knowledge they need to lead healthy, empowered lives. But in 2025, this is about more than just sex education. It’s about fighting back against attacks on truth, education, and bodily autonomy. 

This May, we stand together: For young people. For honest education. For democracy. 

#SexEdForAll #ProtectSexEd #FightBack 

Talking Points 

Sex education gives young people age-appropriate, medically accurate, and culturally relevant information and answers to their questions about sex and relationships without being shamed or judged. It has been proven to positively impact young people’s lives. But too many young people don’t have access to sex education, or the programs in their school are shaming or inaccurate. By advocating in our communities, we can ensure Sex Ed for All. 

Sex education is under attack—because it works. 

• The same groups banning books, censoring history, and restricting reproductive rights are targeting sex education. 

• The opposition’s goal? To keep young people uninformed, disempowered, and unable to make decisions about their own bodies and futures. 

• But research shows that comprehensive sex education leads to better health outcomes, healthier relationships, and safer communities. 

In 2025, the fight for sex education is more urgent than ever. Join us as we celebrate May as Sex Ed for All Month and voice our commitment to a world where all young people—no matter who they are or where they live—get the sex education they deserve.  

Sex education is under attack by well-funded, organized groups that seek to strip young people of their right to knowledge and bodily autonomy. From book bans to curriculum censorship and restrictions on abortion and contraception to attacks on LGBTQ+ students, the same forces driving policies that harm young people are also behind the effort to erase comprehensive sex education from schools. 

Sex Ed for All Month is about fighting back against attacks on truth and standing up for young people.

Sex Ed for All Month—an annual campaign coordinated by the Sex Education Collaborative—is a national call to action to ensure all young people have access to sex education that is comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive. In 2025, this is about more than just sex education. Sex Ed for All Month is about fighting back against attacks on truth and standing up for young people. We invite you to join us as we turn up the volume on the messages, practices, and policies that help young people have healthy relationships and positive health outcomes.  

This May, we stand together: For young people. For honest education. For democracy. 

Spread the word. 

• Use the #SexEdForAll Month Toolkit with ready-to-go graphics, social media posts, and talking points. The Toolkit is also available in Spanish.  

• Add the #SexEdForAll hashtag when sharing on social media.

Engage your community. 

• Ask young people how they want to promote Sex Ed for All. Then, help them implement their efforts.  

• Talk to parents and caregivers about the curriculum and standards at their kids’ school. Map out next steps toward increasing young people’s access to accurate sex education.  

Advocate for policies that support sex education. 

• Call your elected officials and ask them to invest in sex education. (You don’t need to be an expert: share your story of why you value sex ed. Want facts? Check out these talking points!) 

• Ask your elected official to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA) and as a co-sponsor of the Sex Ed for All Month resolution. 

Being a student parent is a unique and challenging experience that often goes unnoticed. Only recently has there been increased awareness about the need to have colleges and universities address the needs of students who are parents. A pilot study was conducted across three universities—two northeastern and a southeastern university—to understand the experiences of student parents and identify ways to better support them. The project utilized a community-based approach, whereby an Advisory Council consisting of undergraduate student parents and university administrators reviewed the preliminary findings to ensure resonance and alignment with the target population: undergraduate student parents. Findings were then refined to strengthen the quality of the analysis. The findings revealed four critical themes: belonging, navigation, community, and intergenerational impact.

Belonging

Student parents often feel like they exist on the margins of student life and culture. Their sense of belonging is conditional and influenced by external factors such as age demographics and social spaces. Many student parents feel disconnected from student life due to the lack of visibility and tailored resources for them. Dionra, a student mom, poignantly expressed this sentiment: “I feel like I belong, but I don’t. It’s kind of like I’m in, but I’m out, too.”

Navigation

Balancing the dual identities of being a student and a parent is no easy feat. Student parents constantly juggle responsibilities, time management, and prioritization of their children and schoolwork.

Balancing the dual identities of being a student and a parent is no easy feat.

Despite these challenges, many student parents demonstrate a strong ability to navigate between these identities. Emily, a student mom, shared her experience: “The divide of putting your child first, but also putting your education not last.”

Community

The need for community among student parents is profound. Many student parents feel isolated and express a strong desire to connect with peers and other student parents. Those who leverage existing support networks and family systems often thrive and create their own spaces in opposition to non-supportive academic systems. Barthelolemule, a student dad, emphasized the importance of support networks: “For student parents, I do feel that having some sort of support network, especially if they’re single parents, would be extremely beneficial.”

Many student parents draw motivation from their role as parents and see their educational journey as important for encouraging their children.

Intergenerational Impact

Attending college and pursuing a degree is not just about personal achievement for student parents; it’s also about inspiring their children and setting an example. Many student parents draw motivation from their role as parents and see their educational journey as important for encouraging their children. Abi, a student dad, reflected on this: “I feel like when I saw that I was going to be a parent, I felt that I needed to gain a higher level of education [to] help me maybe further progress in my career. And since then, [being a parent] has been one of my motivations to continue onward with school and try to finish.”

Recommendations

To better support student parents, several recommendations emerged from the pilot study. First, there is a communication and knowledge gap. Student parents often learn about available services through happenstance or their own searches, indicating that information is not readily communicated to them. Maria, a student mom, highlighted this issue: “I feel like if you’re a student parent at [my university], you’re just under the radar, like you’re just a normal student. There’s nothing different. There’s nothing changing.”

Second, tracking and identification of student parents systematically across campus could enhance information-sharing networks, such as newsletters or email listservs. Jane, a student mom, pointed out the lack of systematic identification: “I don’t know if I get emails about being a student parent because my child goes to [my university’s childcare center]. Or does everybody get it? Because I don’t know. It wasn’t like it was on my application…I don’t know how they would know I was a student parent.”

Conclusion

Student parents face unique challenges that require tailored support and resources. By addressing the themes of belonging, navigation, community, and intergenerational impact, colleges and universities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for student parents. Implementing the recommendations from this study can help bridge the communication gap and ensure that student parents receive the support they need to thrive both academically and personally.

B

lack History Month may be over, but I want to highlight some of my favorite novels by remarkable Black authors. Specifically, I want to shine a light on books that have been banned across school districts because I feel like it’s more important than ever that we remain vigilant and informed.  

While researching for this post, I was shocked by the sheer number of books that have been banned, many of which I am personally familiar with. Books such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou are among some of the books I enjoyed reading as an adolescent, and all of them have been placed on a banned book list at some point in history.  

Despite these books being banned, I hope we can continue to enjoy and share these powerful stories of resilience and joy.

I recently bought a “Read Banned Books” pin that I proudly display on my desk, a quiet symbol of resistance in my space. Despite these books being banned, I hope we can continue to enjoy and share these powerful stories of resilience and joy. I carry them with me and encourage you to do the same, not just during Black History Month, but throughout the year. 

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus  

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them is a beautiful story about two Black girls, Mabel and Audre, who fall in love while navigating themes of identity, spirituality, and self-discovery.  

I read this beautiful novel by Junauda Petrus in a Black queer book club I am a part of last year, and it quickly became one of my favorites. I found myself moved to tears on several occasions, so I recommend having some tissues nearby if you decide to dive into this powerful story. 

Currently, this book is included on a list of 850 other proposed books to be banned in schools across Texas. 

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall  

In Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall examines how issues like gun violence, poverty, education, and other societal problems are deeply intertwined with feminism. Published in 2020, this nonfiction story is part autobiographical and critiques how mainstream feminism often fails to represent all women and forgets intersectionality. 

I listened to the audiobook on a long drive last summer, and I vividly remember gripping my steering wheel and shouting out loud in frustration while listening to Kendall’s words. The book offers such a raw, honest look at feminism and the ways the movement has historically neglected issues that disproportionately affect Black women. There were moments when I had to pause the recording to process it all, but I’m so glad I took the time to listen to it.  

Hood Feminism has been challenged in Texas and Florida school districts for “making students feel discomfort” around topics involving race and sexuality.    

Kindred by Octavia Butler 

Kindred follows the life of Dana, a Black woman living with her husband in California during the 1980s. Through a mysterious force, she is pulled back in time to the antebellum South, where she meets her ancestor—a white slaveowner. As she is repeatedly transported between time periods, Dana must navigate her life as an enslaved person while confronting her ancestral history.    

This was the first book my Black queer book club read this year, and it was fascinating to experience Black history through a science fiction lens. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just two days—if you’re looking for an incredible page-turner, this is definitely the book for you.

Kindred is among the books banned by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in September 2019. 

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson 

In All Boys Aren’t Blue, George M. Johnson reflects on his life as a black queer individual growing up in New Jersey, and Virginia. It’s an incredible memoir that explores themes like gender identity, sexuality, toxic masculinity, family, and Black joy.  

I was immediately intrigued by the summary, but what really hooked me was learning that the title pays homage to one of my favorite films, Moonlight, and the play it’s based on, In the Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It’s now on my “To Be Read” list for 2025.   

This book has been challenged due to its sexual content, LGBTQ+ themes, and use of profanity. In Flagler County, a school board member filed a report with the county’s sheriff, claiming that having the book in a school library is a crime. The removal of the book sparked protests among students.