Community sexual health education program

We have a well-established comprehensive sex education program on Vancouver Island, offering sexual health education in schools, as well as workshops for community groups, parents and adults.

To book sexual health workshops,

* “Contact our offices”:/about/contact/#education

We believe in taking a *preventative* approach to sexual health. Our comprehensive sex education workshops support healthy sexual decision-making for teens, youth and parents.

h3. About our workshops

* “Program goals”:#goals
* “Sex education workshops for all ages”:#workshops
* “Our facilitator”:#facilitator

h3(#goals). Program goals

To provide children, youth, and parents with current and factual information in an effort to promote healthy sexuality and healthy choices and to _prevent_ unplanned pregnancies, exposure to sexually transmitted infections and sexual exploitation. All programs welcome and encourage questions from participants.

We work closely with other agencies such as:

* “Options for Sexual Health”:http://www.opt2act.org
* “Project Respect”:http://www.yesmeansyes.com, from the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre
* “AIDS Vancouver Island”:http://www.avi.org, to promote inclusive and comprehensive sexual health education for youth and the community

h3(#workshops). Sex education workshops for all ages

We offer a variety of workshops to meet the needs and interests of specific groups based on subject matter, age level, and time available.

h4. Elementary and Middle school workshops

Child sex education topics include:

* Bodies, Birth, and Babies
* Changing Bodies, Changing Minds
* The 5 w’s of The P word – puberty
* healthy relationships and friendships
* building self-esteem
* sexual health overview
* birth control and sexually transmitted infections (for older youth)

h4. Secondary school and University workshops

Sex education for teenagers and young adults covers:

* birth control options
* sexually transmitted infections (STIs/STDs)
* sexual decision making
* healthy relationships
* teen pregnancy (using the “empathy belly”)

h4. Youth Training

ISHS is proud to deliver comprehensive sexual health training for youth in peerhelping and leadership classes and other community groups. Training is delivered over 9 hours and includes detailed information on contraception, sexually transmitted infection risk reduction, healthy relationships, decision making, community resources and what to expect during a sexual health exam. Through the generous support of The United Way and Direct Access, we are able to offer this training free of charge to a limited number of schools and groups.

h4. Parent workshops

The Approachable Parent workshop can be tailored to meet the needs of specific age groups (Pre-school through Adolescence) and will include the following information:

* The five stages of childhood sexual development & what children should know at each stage
* Teaching tips and specific examples of ways to explain bodies & body processes
Strategies for answering the tough questions children ask
* Tips for incorporating family values, beliefs, religion, and culture into sexuality education
* Resources for parents to review and information to take home

See also our “tips for parents”:/parents/ talking to kids about sexual health.

h3(#facilitator). Facilitator

Jennifer Gibson, MA is our community education coordinator. Before joining ISHS, she worked as a prevention and support educator in disordered eating, where she facilitated workshops and peer training for youth and adults.

Jennifer is a passionate, knowledgeable and qualified sexual health educator whose sense of humour and comfort level give her a unique ability to deal with sensitive issues.

h4. Feedback on Jennifer’s Education

“Jennifer is open, has a great sense of humour, and has a lot of information to offer.” Parent, Hillcrest Elementary

“Thank you for teaching my class. This was the best talk I have ever had in school”-Grade 10 Participant

“Thanks again for the outstanding presentation – you certainly had the student’s attention for the entire presentation and created an atmosphere where students felt comfortable”- Instructor, Camosun College

You can reach Jennifer @ 250-592-3479 x204 or through email “”:mailto: