2019…What a year it has been! I’m so thankful for all of you and the experiences I’ve had this year because of your support and involvement. As a 2019 recap, let’s take a peek at all the things you and your fellow sex education advocates accomplished.
Travel to India: A lot of interest was sparked when I traveled to India in February. You wanted to know how young people in India are taught sex education. Although schools are supposed to teach health education, most students do not learn about puberty. This results in many girls dropping out of school once menstruation begins. Because of your interest, I wrote a series of blogs that attracted the attention of a sex educator and a publisher in Mumbai; they want to use Puberty: The Wonder Years in India!
Travel to India: A lot of interest was sparked when I traveled to India in February. You wanted to know how young people in India are taught sex education. Although schools are supposed to teach health education, most students do not learn about puberty. This results in many girls dropping out of school once menstruation begins. Because of your interest, I wrote a series of blogs that attracted the attention of a sex educator and a publisher in Mumbai; they want to use Puberty: The Wonder Years in India!
Professional Development Requests: Many of you have requested resources that will help you or your fellow educators develop more comfort, confidence, and competence to teach puberty education. With the goal of making training more available to more of you, I launched the Online Training Course for puberty education. The first participant to complete the course was in Thailand!
Quest for Knowledge: Clearly, we are all lifelong learners. As you learn more about teaching puberty education, my desire to support you grows. So, I enrolled in the Sexual Health Certificate Program at the University of Michigan. The ultimate goal is to apply for AASECT certification as a Sexuality Educator in 2020. Your quest for knowledge has fueled mine!
Conference Participation: Many of you attended conferences that offered sessions related to sex education. Many of you attended my sessions at SHAPE America (April 10 in Tampa, FL), Connecting Kids to Health Education (June 17 in Traverse City, MI), Indiana School Health Conference (June 26 in Indianapolis, IN), National Sexual Health Conference (July 11-12 in Chicago, IL), Moving Toward Solutions (August 8 in Gaylord, MI), and American School Health Association (October 4 in Cincinnati, OH). Together, we are expanding puberty education across this country!
North Carolina Hospitality: You invited me to come on down and train your school staff in two school districts in North Carolina. Since I love visiting NC, you can ask me back at any time. Your state is on fire to make sure young people learn about their bodies!
Networking and Contributing: Autumn was full of collaborations with other sex educators as we learned, planned, and advocated. The American School Health Association named me an ASHA Fellow for my service over 21 years of membership. Together, we promote school health for all students. November took me to Capitol Hill to tell our US Senators and Congresspeople how they can support you in teaching sex education for all young people. A national convening of sex education leaders provided information and resources I can share with you. You are the face of sex education for your students!
International Interest: Your interest and investment in teaching puberty education are inspiring. Daily, people from around the world are signing up for the Puberty: The Wonder Years newsletter and getting information from the website. Just look at this map of international sales of Puberty: The Wonder Years. We are truly changing the world! (Updated sales map)
