The Center for Sex Education (CSE) has exciting news about its annual fall conference, scheduled for November 18th and 19th in Somerset, NJ!
This year’s two day conference will feature exciting keynote addresses by Dr. Paul Joannides, author of the Guide to Getting It On, Leslie Walker-Hirsch, M. Ed., co-creator of the CIRCLES curriculum series, and The CFLE’s own Bill Taverner, M.A., AASECT, director of The CFLE and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Sexuality Education.
We asked the keynoters to tell us a little about what they will be talking about during their keynote addresses. Here’s how they replied:
Paul Joannides, a research psychoanalyst, tells us that, “As sex educators in the era of abstinence-only, we often feel victorious if we can talk about periods and condoms in elementary and middle school classes and not much more in high school classes. My job is to paint a clear picture of the conversations about sexuality that students from eleven years of age to high school actually need from us, as opposed to the conversations we are often forced to give.”
Joannides, while writing the Guide, was able to look at sexuality from the perspective of a total outsider. Having no particular paradigm to bow before, he asked questions and avoided some of the questionable assumptions of the sacred icons of sex research and sex education. The Guide to Getting It On is assigned in college sex-ed courses all over the country, and Joannides is looking forward to challenging us as well as himself on those assumptions.
Leslie Walker-Hirsch, an educational consultant who specializes in social and sexual development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, believes that all adults need to have information about being safe and responsible, whether or not that person has a disability and whether or not that person expects to have an intimate sexual relationship.
“So often the sexuality education needs of people with intellectual disabilities never become known to mainstream health educators. The greatest challenge is in how this important information is communicated to these two different populations.” Walker-Hirsch tells us. “It will no longer be satisfactory to simply JUST SAY NO when romantic opportunities arise.”
Bill Taverner, director of The CFLE, will explore new and emerging technologies and their potential as allies in sexuality education. Taverner said he feels the Internet and other technologies can be both a source of instant information and trepidation for many parents, teachers, and other adults who want to protect children from harm. But, new technologies also afford new opportunities for creative sexuality educators who wish to meet young people “where they are.”
“We can ridicule the endless timewaster apps on cell phones, the Internet, and video games, or we can envision and create our own new sex ed apps,” said Taverner. “Every new technology that may seem intimidating has potential as an ally in sex ed.”
The 2010 Sex Ed Conference will include 28 workshops by renowned educators from across the country, and a hot new contest, an Iron Sex Educator competition with teams of educators building lessons from a surprise box of supplies. The winning team will be able to designate which sexuality education organization is awarded the cash prize!
The Iron Sex Educator teams feature:
- Megan Andelloux, Director of the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health & Chris White, Director of Education and Training at the National Sexuality Resource Center
- Russel Dunnings, DHHS Region III Family Planning Training Center & Monique Howard, NJ Women and AIDS Network
- Don Dyson, Widener University &
- Nora Gelperin, Director of Training for Answer & Eva Goldfarb, Montclair State University
We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2010 CSE Sex Ed Conference! Watch these pages for additional information and registration!
Very exciting!
Can’t wait!
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