Concurrent Sessions

1. Peer Educators in Action
   Judy R. Gawlinski, family and consumer sciences educator, Union City High School
   
   The peer educator program at Union City High School is helping to make a difference in the school. In this workshop, peer educators will demonstrate how they conduct mini-workshops. They will show how they use technology and fun to create a safe learning environment. 
2. Beyond Tokenism and Good Intentions: Building Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships
   Sarah Axelson, M.S.W.
   
   This workshop will be a ninety-minute version of a full-day training experience in building effective sexual health programming partnerships between adult professionals and youth leaders. Organizational leaders, staff, and stakeholders will learn how to make a paradigm shift of partnership related to youth participation in sexual health organizations and will gain skills for integrating youth-adult partnerships into their organizations.
3. Statistics Don’t Lie, But Liars Use Statistics: Improving Our Ability to Interpret Research
   Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, doctoral candidate, Penn State
   
   Science is en vogue; evidence is the latest rage. While this new trend is a breath of fresh air to educators and public health professionals, it can also be somewhat disconcerting, given the complexity of the vast array of data we are bombarded with. How does one judge good evidence from bad? What makes the results of a research study trustworthy and legitimate? The purpose of this workshop is to help the participants become more savvy consumers of the research that guides their practice. The participants will learn about the concepts of reliability and validity, the pros and cons of various study designs, and the standards by which we determine the rigor of educational and behavioral science research.
4. Teaching Sex Education from a Holistic Perspective
   Deborah Gable, M.A., director of education, Planned Parenthood of Central  Pennsylvania
   
   Youth-serving professionals who are concerned about the tremendous risks involved with sexual behavior often use their limited time for sex education to focus on pregnancy and disease prevention. Although these risks are real, sexuality is more than sexual feelings or sexual intercourse. In order to support young people in becoming sexually healthy adults, it is essential that we acknowledge the complexities of sexuality and that sexuality is an essential, lifelong aspect of being human. In this workshop, participants will learn about the Circles of Sexuality, a model that identifies five components of sexuality: sensuality, sexual intimacy, sexual identity, reproduction and sexual health, and sexualization. In small group discussions, participants will identify ways to incorporate each component into their sex education teaching strategies.
5. Influences in the Media
   Kiersten Thomas, student and member of the Union City High School peer educators
   
   This session will explore the media’s portrayal of ideals that are unrealistic and detrimental to our society. It will encourage people to analyze the content of the media to which they are exposed. Because the information to be discussed in this presentation is universal in nature, it is adaptable to any age group.
6. Taking a New Adolescent Sexual Health Paradigm into the Classroom
   Amy Schalet, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Sociology, and faculty affiliate, Center for Research on Families, University of Massachusetts Amherst    
   
   How might a conceptual model that goes beyond the abstinence and risks paradigm advance student learning and well-being? What are the opportunities for and the barriers to using such a paradigm? This workshop will give participants the opportunity to respond to the research and ideas that are presented, and explore how they might use them to further their work with youth and their parents.
7. Making Role Plays Work for You
   Cynthia Rupp, B.S., CFLE, community educator
   
   Role plays are often a part of sexuality education programs, providing an opportunity for skill practice, increased awareness, and empowerment; they are a useful tool for applying factual information to real-life situations in a safe setting. They don’t always do what we hope they will do, for reasons as varied as students’ temperaments, ages, diversity, comfort levels, environments, and relationships within groups, plus many other factors. Through lecture, discussion, and practice, this session will explore factors that have an impact on students in role plays, how to structure role plays to match the skills and comfort levels of groups, and a grab bag of role-playing techniques for educators.
8. Hold Onto Your Power; Hold Onto Yourself
   Janine Kelly, community education coordinator/domestic violence counselor,  Women’s Center of Montgomery County
   
   We are all born with the power of “self,” and throughout our lives we experience a variety of relationships. This workshop will identify, define, and demonstrate—through interactive exercises—the different types of abuse and unhealthy behaviors that cause people to lose this power. Boundaries and individual comfort levels are clearly defined and reinforced. The attendees will leave this workshop with exercises, information, and resources to aid progress for themselves or for friends or loved ones. The workshop will combine didactic information with small- and large-group activities.
9. SEX in School: A Teacher Panel Discussing Successes and Obstacles of Implementing Science-Based Abstinence-Plus Curricula in Pennsylvania Public Schools
   Jennifer May, Ed.D., training coordinator, Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
   
   Tumultuous and rewarding are only two words to describe what has transpired this year in Pennsylvania middle schools as the Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the CDC, and four Pennsylvania school districts collaborated to introduce science-based teen pregnancy prevention curricula to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. In this pilot program, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, and York school districts chose the pregnancy prevention curriculum most appropriate for their student population, received professional training, and documented every lesson they implemented in order to improve upon and sustain these programs.
   
   What were some major problems the teachers faced? Weren't they afraid of parent reprisal? Did all of the teachers support these programs? How did they get administrative support? What worked well? What surprised them? A panel of teachers will provide answers to these as well as any other questions you may have about this progressive pilot program.
10. Do U Know JUNO? Harnessing the Power of Pop Culture to Teach Sex Ed
    Allyson Sandak, M.A., sexual health educator and trainer, Center for Family Life  Education, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey
    
    What do Juno, Cosmo, and Fergie have in common? They can all be used to teach sexuality education! While many sexuality educators would agree that parents ought to be the primary sexuality educators of young people, the media may be usurping this role. Without proper guidance, teens may be left to navigate through negative stereotypes and limited or inaccurate information about sexuality. One role that sexuality educators can play is to provide students with the critical skills needed to recognize and interpret media messages, empowering them to become more media literate. The session participants will experience and discuss strategies they can use to harness the power of pop culture to teach about sexuality in a positive way, and encourage young people to become more savvy about the media.
11. Sex-Ed Games That Teach
    Jessica Shields, health educator, Center for Family Life Education, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey
    
    Can you make an interactive PowerPoint Jeopardy board or use the Internet to create a sex-ed crossword puzzle? Learn to construct high-tech and traditional games that teach about sexuality. In this interactive workshop the participants will examine how popular game shows and game formats—such as puzzles, card games, and dominos—can be adapted to address topics such as HIV, healthy relationships, sexual orientation, and contraception. Come and see whether you are smarter than the average fifth grader!
12. Making Effective Adaptations to Science-Based Programs
    Lori A. Rolleri, M.S.W., M.P.H., interim director, Training Center, ETR Associates
    
    Geared toward youth-serving professionals, this workshop will provide an overview of the ETR/CDC Division of Reproductive Health adaptation guidelines project designed to assist practitioners with making informed adaptations to science-based adolescent pregnancy and STD/HIV prevention programs. The session participants will learn the significance of implementing programs with fidelity and identify strategies to maintain fidelity to adapted programs. This workshop will include lecture, small-group work, and large-group discussion.
13. SEX-ED-PEDIA: The Pedagogical Potential of Online Resources
    Bill Taverner, M.A., director, Center for Family Life Education, Planned Parenthood  of Greater Northern New Jersey
    
    “Meet young people where they are” is a common mantra among sex educators, recognizing the importance of engaging the perspectives and life experiences that students bring into the classroom. Nowadays, “where they are” may include hours and hours spent in front of YouTube and Wikipedia! This workshop will explore the potential of such resources as allies in sex education. The participants will discuss the widespread use of Wikipedia and YouTube and will experience and evaluate classroom activities and homework assignments designed to engage students in sexuality education using familiar resources. The participants are encouraged to bring their laptops and video cell phones.
14. They Don't Want Us to Talk about That! How to Build Support in Your Community for Sex Education
    Carol Petraitis, Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project, ACLU-PA
    
    This workshop will help the participants build support for comprehensive sex education in their communities. Research has shown that parents widely support the idea of comprehensive sexuality education in their schools, but schools and school boards are often fearful of initiating such programs. This workshop will provide information and strategies for overcoming resistance, including research about the value to students and communities of initiating comprehensive sex ed, techniques for building community support, and help with identifying local and national resources. The workshop will be valuable both for schools that already have programs and for those trying to initiate programs. The presenters will suggest ways the participants can use information to influence school boards and lawmakers, how to organize parents and teens, and how to research what is being taught in schools. Active participation is expected, as the workshop will also serve as an info-sharing and brainstorming session.
15. The State of Sex Education in Pennsylvania: A Tale of Twenty-nine Districts
    Maryjo M. Oster, doctoral candidate, Penn State
    
    What are students in Pennsylvania schools being taught about sex? With no formal sexuality education standards or requirements, each of the state’s 501 school districts has the autonomy to establish its own policies or programs. For her doctoral dissertation, Oster has investigated the sex education policies and programs in place in a sampling of Pennsylvania school districts, and the factors that have influenced their adoption. This session will review the findings of this research to date, discuss these findings in the context of the larger, national sex education debate, and engage the participants in a discussion of the relevance of these findings to the prevention of teen pregnancy and HIV/STD in Pennsylvania.
16. Making the Connections: Community Sexual Health Educators within School District Health Curriculum Programs
    Amy L. Cotner-Klingler, M.A., community education specialist, Susquehanna Health
    
    Learn strategies for marketing community sexual health educators in school districts’ health curriculum programs. Additional ideas will be provided to help in marketing yourself with other community services. The presenters will not only share their own expertise but also encourage the participants to share ideas.
17. Meeting the Needs of Urban Youth
    Arita L. Gilliam, M.S., M.P.P.M., school health coordinator, UPMC Shadyside Hospital
    
    This workshop will prepare the attendees to assess the cultural framework in which community and school-based programs take place, and to design programming with the goal of enhancing the cultural context. Using Abraham Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs,” the workshop will encourage the participants to view cultural competence as more than language, names, ethnic inclusion, and culture. By focusing on elements proven to lead to success, the workshop will offer a new perspective on helping youth explore different cultural contexts with the goal of developing the necessary skills to avoid negative influences and situations as a means of self-preservation.
18. Innovative Strategies to Teach Pregnancy Prevention
    Thomas R. Butts, chair of the health and physical education department, Hatboro-Horsham High School
    
    This program will introduce three cross-curricular strategies to improve human sexuality and pregnancy prevention education. The attendees will participate in hands-on activities used in high school–level health classes. The topics will include cost analysis of teenage pregnancy, HIV/STD transmission, and contraception awareness. The workshop attendees will leave with the know-how for implementing the recommended educational methods in their classroom/community programs.
19. Two Prevention Models for Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Communities That Care (CTC) and Forty Developmental Assets
    Joe Markiewicz, co-project director, Penn State CORE
    
    
20. A "Special Need" for Sex Ed: Strategies for Teaching Youth with Developmental Disability
    Melissa Keyes DiGioia, senior sexual heath educator/trainer, Center for Family Life  Education, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey
    
    Sexuality and disability experts believe that sexuality education is essential for youth with developmental disabilities, to help them develop a positive, healthy sexuality and recognize and report sexual victimization. Professionals need to use educational strategies geared for youth with special needs. This workshop will examine the value of sex ed in the lives of youth with developmental disabilities and demonstrate basic, multimodel ways to teach them about sexuality.
21. Dating Violence and Teen Pregnancy
    Tommie Wilkins, director of training and education, Laurel House
    
    This workshop will give the participants skills and tools for effectively educating students ages 13 to 18 on the topic of dating violence, particularly regarding the impact that pregnancy has on the victims of dating violence. This form of violence affects so many students, whether they are victims, perpetrators, bystanders, or friends. Pregnancy can be a vulnerable time for a student, and the addition of domestic abuse can adversely impact educational capability, school attendance, and behavior. The workshop participants will learn how to craft a comprehensive education program—using lectures, with audiovisual support and games—to meet the social and emotional needs of young adults faced with dating violence and pregnancy. To help the participants in developing curricula, the workshop will explore the use of educational materials, interactive games, popular culture (music and popular media), movies, and event planning.