Last spring, five students were chosen to lead a teen sexual education group called the Teen Council structured around a Planned Parenthood curriculum. The council’s mission is clear.
“[We teach] through the power of peer education that uses accurate, unbiased sexuality education, [to] end ignorance, promote tolerance, and improve the communication between teens and the important people in their lives,” said the teen council in their mission statement.
Councils such as this have been around for 25 years, and have created a total of 35 groups across 13 states.
DoVE, a domestic violence prevention organization on the island, has been working closely with the students, being the first non-Planned Parenthood organization to facilitate a council such as this.
With the help of two adult group leaders (Tracy McLaren and Kyle Britz), juniors Leo Macleod, Amelia Prince, Maijah Sanson-Frey, and Gerald Gerrior — along with senior Ruby Seago — are learning about a variety of sexual education topics. They range from sexual orientation to instructions about how to put on a condom.
These five students wish to share their knowledge with younger generations as well.
“One of our goals is to be teaching in McMurray sometime in January, and from there… doing peer-led sex education and touching on other important issues that might not get addressed in… classrooms,” said Macleod.
They are hoping student-on-student teaching will get better results.
“The theory is that kids will be more receptive if they’re learning from their peers,” said Prince.
In many instances, a standard sex-education classroom can create an environment which is unhealthy.
“Many of the teachers at our schools teach sex-ed through a textbook,” said Seago, “which is effective in terms of scaring us about diseases and pregnancy, but it instills a lot of shame in us when we have questions about what certain terms mean, what to do if you think you have an STD, and topics related to this.”
Many teens avoid talking to their parents or teachers about intimate matters such as sex and relationships, so this method could lead students to be more open and willing to ask questions, share opinions, and tell of experiences.
The council is attempting to prove to students that sex is not a frightening but comfortable topic that has a lot more to it than they are aware. Nowadays, sexual education classes are getting much better at addressing topics that were once very controversial, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and more.
These topics are often misunderstood or overlooked next to the typical subjects being taught.
Providing a curriculum teaching that each and every child, teen, and adult should be comfortable in their own skin is essential to the Council’s goal. This is needed so that they can be more understanding when it comes to their bodies, as well as their partner’s.
This group has been focusing on the science and anatomy aspect of sex, but they remember that a large part of it is also emotionally based.
DoVE has also focused on teaching the impacts of violence in sex and relationships.
“When I was in middle school, I felt like there were a lot of things like healthy relationships that weren’t talked about,” said Sanson-Frey.
Some classes tend to glance over or dismiss the concept of healthy relationships. This group hopes to remind students that in a relationship they have the right to be heard, and to seek out better options if needed.
“I was actually in an unhealthy power and control relationship, and I did not know… the signs,” said Sanson-Frey. “I think it is important for middle schoolers and younger youth to learn about those things younger so they can identify the signs.”
Nationwide today, one in three women and one in four men have been victims of domestic violence. This curriculum strives to end the avoidable mistakes which leave many in unhealthy and possibly dangerous circumstances.
The five teens are already hoping to go to McMurray Middle School to teach sixth through eighth graders. There hope is to end the outdated un-emotional, cis gender, and heterosexual classes for future sex-ed curriculums. Although they are currently focused on middle school sexual education, the Teen Council hopes to bring Planned Parenthood’s curriculum to VHS in one of the following years.
Councils such as this one are causing many to wonder if a sexual education course such as this would be beneficial in our schools. Teen Council seems to think so, and they are already making an impact.
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