People often ask Wendy how Puberty: The Wonder Year began.

Well, that story starts when my children were young and began going to school… a school that did not teach any sex education. I wanted to ensure that my kids received a better sex education than I did, so I volunteered to teach sex education for the 5^th and 6^th grades. Since I’m a registered nurse, the school welcomed my offer. I thought that I would model how to teach puberty education and the classroom teachers would become comfortable enough that they would take over the instruction before my children reached those grades.

Well, that didn’t happen. I ended up teaching sex education for many years and many students, including my own kids and their friends. The students would greet me in the school hallways with a cheery, “Hello, Puberty Lady!”

Al mismo tiempo, era coautor del Modelo de salud de Michigan™, un plan de estudios de educación sanitaria escolar integral basado en la evidencia. Debido a la política estatal en ese momento, el Modelo de Michigan no incluyó ninguna educación sexual o educación sobre la pubertad en el plan de estudios de K-6. Decidí llenar ese vacío mediante la creación de un plan de estudios de educación sobre la pubertad para los grados 4, 5 y 6. Con el apoyo, el estímulo, la ayuda y los comentarios de muchas personas, Puberty: The Wonder Years se publicó por primera vez en 2002. Desde entonces, se ha revisado y actualizado muchas veces. La edición de 2015 fue una revisión completa porque el editor original cerró el negocio, lo que me obligó a rehacer todo y creó una oportunidad para hacer Puberty: The Wonder Years mejor que nunca. La edición de 2021, recién publicada, es totalmente digital, lo que permite a los educadores acceder a las lecciones y a los recursos didácticos, ya sea de forma virtual, presencial o híbrida.

Me encanta lo que hago y me comprometo a intentar cambiar el mundo. La ignorancia nunca ha ayudado a nadie, así que quiero asegurarme de que todos los jóvenes y sus familias obtengan las habilidades y el conocimiento que necesitan para tener una experiencia positiva en la pubertad. Si quieres ayudar, ¡hablemos!

Wendy L. Sellers is the author of Puberty: The Wonder Years. She is also one of the distinguished writers of the Michigan Model for Health and the American School Health Association‘s 2014 Health Coordinator of the Year. Learn more about Wendy by watching this video.

Wendy has been a passionate advocate for health promotion for students for more than 30 years. Wendy L. Sellers is a national author, trainer, and the founder of Health4Hire, Inc. As the author of Puberty: The Wonder Years, Wendy advocates for skills-based, comprehensive, sexuality education that starts early, involves parents, and meets students’ needs. Among her favorite activities are answering students’ questions about sexuality and equipping others to be “ask-able” adults. 

Originally educated as a registered nurse, she quickly shifted her focus to prevention, became a Certified Prevention Consultant, and earned her master’s in Family and Consumer Sciences. Collaborating with stakeholders, Wendy has advanced coordinated school health through networking, communication, and data-based decision-making. Through these collaborations, Wendy has written proposals to successfully receive funding totaling over $3 million to support coordinated school health in her region. She also co-authored the nationally-recognized, evidence-based Michigan Model for Health, and has trained hundreds of educators across the country in its use.

Wendy has served as president of the Michigan School Health Coordinators’ Association and advocated for programs and policies to improve the health of students through her role as their Legislative Committee Chair for 10 years. Wendy was named 2014 National Health Coordinator of the Year by the American School Health Association (ASHA). She served on the ASHA Board of Directors and chaired their Advocacy & Coalitions Committee during 2017-18. She was named an ASHA Fellow in 2019, joining a group of passionate school health advocates. Wendy is currently on the Board of Directors of the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education.

Wendy completed the Sexual Health Certificate Program at University of Michigan and went on to earn her AASECT certification as a Sexuality Educator in 2020.

With these credentials and her dynamic presentation style, Wendy is a sought-after presenter on school health and advocacy at state and national conferences. Contact the Puberty: The Wonder Years team via the contact page or by calling UGH-PUBERTY (844-782-3789).