Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education Training for Educators

Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, comprehensive sexuality education provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but also an experience that helps facilitators to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, social, and political aspects of sexuality.

This training is for educators interested in becoming familiar with the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality curriculum and implementing it with their students.

What: Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education Training for Educators
Where: Springhouse (144 Silver Maple Lane, Pilot, VA)
Dates: Friday, November 4th – Sunday, November 6th
Times: Friday 5-9:15pm, Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 8am-3pm
(Lunch provided on Saturday and Sunday)

*PLEASE NOTE: ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST PURCHASE AND/OR BRING WITH THEM A COPY OF THE CURRICULUM FOR THE LEVELS THEY ARE BEING TRAINED ON. Contact the UUA bookstore or UCC Resources to purchase materials. Please allow enough time to receive materials before the training.

Information for participants: The facilitators who implement the curriculum are important determinants of program success; therefore, it is very important for group leaders to be highly skilled in communication and facilitation, in managing the learning process so that activities are truly aimed at accomplishing objectives, and in using a variety of teaching techniques, such as role play. They must have the ability to create an atmosphere that engages the age group and to use language and communication styles that are relevant and age-appropriate. Facilitators must have a comfort with the subject matter, and must be willing to support the values and goals of the program. Finally, they must have the patience, stamina, and creativity necessary to manage the vast differences in maturity, experience, ability to dialogue, and attention spans present in a group of participants.

OWL Training Facilitator Bios:

Lynn Young has been a sexuality educator since 1977 and an Our Whole Lives trainer since 1999. She is co-author of two comprehensive sexuality education curricula, Human Sexuality: Values and Choices and Understanding Sexuality: Making Healthy Choices. Formerly with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, she is a life coach, trainer, writer and artist in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she is an active member of First Congregational United Church of Christ. Young holds a master’s degree in counseling and human services from the University of Colorado.

T. Anil Oommen teaches in the MAT and B.Ed. Programs at Pacific University in Oregon. He teaches Critical Perspectives on Identity and Social Systems and Culture, Power & Identity: Becoming a Teacher Leader and Advocate. Anil is active in the Eugene-Springfield community through his work on the Eugene SD 4j Equity Committee, and through his work as a comprehensive sexuality educator/trainer/consultant in school contexts and beyond. Anil has been interviewed for and quoted in Podcast for a Just World, Rewire News, The Hechinger Report, and The Washington Post for his comprehensive sexuality education work. He has helped implement the Our Whole Lives comprehensive sexuality education curricula at elementary, middle and high school levels in public schools and religious settings. He is co-author of Sexuality and Our Faith: a companion to Our Whole Lives, grades 4-6 (Second Edition) and author of a story about conception for kindergartners and first graders in the K-1 Our Whole Lives curriculum.

Prior to joining Pacific University, Anil was an elementary educator in both private and public arts-integrated primary school settings for fourteen years. Anil’s life as an immigrant in American schools continues to shape his explorations of diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s classrooms. His story is featured in the photo exhibit, Our Stories: Immigrants of America. His research interests include identity and belonging in school contexts, the role of schools in comprehensive sexuality education, and the intersections of Brown vs. Board of Education with the Juliana vs. US youth climate case. Anil is a father, educator, and travel enthusiast. Anil loves the art of storytelling through films, novels, and poetry. He is a novice birdwatcher and loves photography and writing. He has published poetry on issues of identity and loss in the Wēber Studies Interdisciplinary Humanities Journal and the South African journal, Carapace.

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We have secured grant funding for this training with the intention to make it freely available for members of our community. Since the funding was secured, our associated costs have increased, so we are looking to bring in at least $800 total to cover our costs. We are also encouraging financial contributions to support the Springhouse mission and our ongoing work. Our Whole Lives (OWL) trainings are typically $175-$350 per person.