+ What is peer education?

Peer education workshops are led by CHAT youth who complete ICAH’s sexuality education professional development program. ICAH staff and youth leaders work collaboratively, offering interactive modules that are medically accurate, age-appropriate, and youth-friendly. Peer educators are supported by an adult educator during all workshops.

+ What is performance-based education?

Rooted in the characters and stories of our plays, all performance-based curriculum is facilitated by an Adult Educator and Theater Artist. Workshops and residencies use participatory theatre tools to cultivate inquiry and provide students with opportunities to practice applying sexual health education content to their own lives.

+ What is a residency?

ICAH Adult Educators, CHAT educators and performers train young people to think creatively and critically about their sexual health. Residencies begin with a performance of one of our participatory plays, and over the course of the next seven to nine sessions, engage students through participatory theatre tools to cultivate inquiry and apply the sexuality education content learned to their lives.

+ What's in ICAH's secret sauce?

All our youth education programs feature:

1. Active inquiry about sustainable change and dialogue that investigates sexual health through a reproductive justice framework.
2. Diversity in our storytelling that honors a range of experiences across race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, and other identity lines.
3. Youth voice, youth leadership, and creative engagement between youth and their communities so that young people feel comfortable asking questions.
4. Challenges to assumptions, common language, and shame.
   

+ What are ICAH’s approaches to comprehensive sexuality education?

All ICAH Curriculum reflects a youth-centered approach to sexuality education that is firmly rooted in reproductive justice and:

• Medically Accurate
• Developmentally and Age Appropriate
• Culturally Responsive
• Trauma-Informed
• Harm and Risk Reductive
• Sex-Positive and Pleasure-Centered
• LGBTQIA+ Inclusive
• Pro-Choice/Access

What is Sexuality?!

This workshop is an introduction to the process of sexuality education. This workshop sets the tone for prioritizing youth autonomy and comfort throughout sexuality education, and centers pleasure, personal values, respect, and choice as key components of both sexuality and the experience of sexuality education.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe sexuality and consider how it applies to people’s lives
• Develop group guidelines to support each other
• Cultivate comfort in discussing sexuality
• Express empathy for fear or anxiety of starting sexuality education
• Create questions to further learning

Our Identities: Gender, Sex, and Sexual Orientation

This workshop is an introduction to the difference between gender, assigned sex, and sexual/romantic identity categories. In addition to teaching terminology, this workshop encourages young people to care for each other and see themselves as part of a community that values safety and respect.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe sexuality and consider how it applies to people’s lives
• Recognize the presence and impact of binaries on daily life
• Define terminology related to gender, assigned sex, and sexual/romantic identity
• Practice celebrating and respecting all gender and sexual identities

Our Identities: Describing Who We Are

This workshop is a companion to Our Identities: Gender, Sex, and Sexual Orientation. It explores how our identities grow and develop over time, and how language can help us be who we are. Through exploring character and stories, this workshop supports young people discover identity, build empathy, and see themselves as part of a community that values safety and respect.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how each character’s experience of identity changed over time
• Differentiate between gender and sexual identity
• Identify assumptions about gender and sexual identity
• Practice celebrating and respecting all gender and sexual identities

Crushes, Desire, and Attraction

This workshop highlights the many ways people can experience attraction. During this workshop, participants will gain comfort discussing desire and practice respectfully communicating with and about crushes.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize attraction as a complex, unique experience
• Identify and analyze how media scripts impact ideas about attraction
• Practice communicating with crushes and with friends about crushes
• Demonstrate care in communicating about attraction

Our Anatomy: The Parts + The Pieces

This workshop introduces participants to vocabulary for our bodies, as well as accurate definitions and functions of genital anatomy. This workshop also interrupts harmful medical practices of unnecessary intersex surgeries and discusses pleasure as a core function of genital anatomy.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand functions of genital anatomy
• Recognize similarities and differences between genital functions
• Define intersex and understand intersex variation as healthy
• Practice asking questions about genital anatomy

Puberty and Development

This workshop is an introduction to the physical/chemical, emotional/intellectual, and social/cultural changes young people experience during puberty. During this workshop, participants will define puberty as a process, learn about how hormones impact the process of puberty, and practice navigating conflict with friends, family, and community.

Learning Objectives:

• Define puberty as a process
• Describe common physical and chemical changes that may occur during puberty
• Respond to challenging situations that may occur during puberty
• Practice incorporating healing techniques to reduce stress

Pregnancy and Reproduction

This workshop provides a general overview of the process of pregnancy. Participants will learn about menstrual cycles and sperm production cycles in relation to pregnancy, consider their values around pregnancy, and engage with common questions about pregnancy.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe menstrual cycles, sperm production cycles, and fertility
• Understand the scientific process of pregnancy
• Recognize that shaming messages about young people’s experiences with pregnancy are harmful and unnecessary
• Answer common questions related to pregnancy

Sexual Health 101

This workshop is an introduction to sexual behavior and STI prevention. During the workshop, participants will unpack their associations with the word sex, discuss various sexual behaviors, and learn about sexually transmitted infections.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze risk of various sexual behaviors
• Explain consent and how it relates to sexual health
• Identify common STIs and how they are transmitted
• Name safer sex practices

Safer Sex, Healthy Decision Making, and Reclaiming Abstinence

This workshop teaches participants about five strategies for safer sex to help support informed decision making. During this workshop, participants will also talk through the process of getting tested for STIs and practice navigating barriers.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify safer sex as a critical component of sexual health
• Discuss education, barrier method use, STI testing, communication, and abstinence as key components to practicing safter sex
• Describe steps to getting tested for STIs at a clinic
• Name and challenge barriers to getting tested for STIs

Understanding HIV: Prevention and Ending Stigma

This workshop provides accurate information around HIV transmission and prevention During this workshop, participants will define HIV and AIDS, identify the four fluids and behaviors that can transmit the infection, and unpack stigma, shame, and myths about HIV and AIDS.

Learning Objectives:

• Define and differentiate between HIV and AIDS
• Describe stigma and how it perpetuates myths about HIV
• Identify how to prevent HIV transmission

Barrier Methods

This workshop teaches effective use of condoms as well as lesser known barrier methods. During this workshop, participants will also develop skills for communicating about sexual health with partners and others in their lives.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how and why barrier methods are used
• Demonstrate how to effectively use barrier methods including external and internal condoms, dental dams, and gloves
• Practice effectively using barrier methods
• Identify people to continue talking to about sexual health

Hormonal Methods + Contraception

This workshop demonstrates hormonal method and birth control use while developing participants’ skills for communicating about sexual health. During this workshop, participants will identify different methods of hormonal birth control, learn about emergency contraception, and consider how to make decisions or support others make decisions about hormonal birth control.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe hormonal contraception and how it works
• Identify different methods of hormonal contraception
• Advocate for themselves and support others in decisions about hormonal birth control

Youth Sexual Rights

This workshop is an introduction to young people’s legal and human rights related to healthcare in Illinois. During the workshop, participants will learn to distinguish between legal and human rights, identify what health care services require parental consent, and practice advocating for themselves in healthcare settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish between legal rights and human rights
• Think through accessibility as it relates to healthcare
• Consider risk, support, and personal comfort around accessing healthcare
• Practice advocating for themselves and others in a healthcare setting

Peer Education Skills

This workshop provides youth with basic sexuality education information and tools to educate other young people. During this workshop, youth will define consent, learn proper barrier method use, and practice reducing shame and stigma related to sexuality education.

Learning Objectives:

• Define consent and safer sex
• Identify qualities of a positive sexual health educator
• Practice teaching sexual health information to peers

Pregnancy Options

This workshop provides participants with information about parenting, adoption, abortion, and safe haven abandonment while discussing support for young people navigating pregnancy options.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe parenting, adoption, abortion, and safe haven abandonment
• Recognize a pregnant young person’s right to make their own decision about pregnancy
• Practice shame-free support for young people making decisions about pregnancy

Birth Justice

This workshop introduces participants to the concept of birth justice. During this workshop, participants will also identify medical injustices, outline a birth plan, practice communicating with supports, and share love for the young mamas, papas, and parents in their lives.

Learning Objectives:

• Define birth justice
• Discuss supports during pregnancy and the birth process
• Practice developing and explaining a birth plan
• Center positive messages about young people who are pregnant and parenting

Learning Consent

This workshop introduces students to consent, boundaries, and healthy communication strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and articulate the importance of clear, ongoing consent
• Discuss social scenarios where one might need to ask for consent, and practice responding
• Articulate the importance of boundaries, both emotional and physical, and discuss how they apply to relationships
• Discuss different social scenarios in which one’s boundaries might change

Know Your Rights: Systemic & Relationship Violence

This workshop discusses personal and state violence while building students’ toolkit to protect themselves and each other.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish between legal rights and human rights
• Identify supportive strategies to respond to someone who has experienced sexual harm or violence
• Discuss the rights and services young people have access to across school, family, and healthcare systems
• Practice shame-free support for young people navigating experiences with sexual violence

Healthy Relationships

This workshop explores differences between balanced and unbalanced power in interpersonal relationships, and uses scenarios that reflect middle or high school relationship dynamics to help students identify when unbalanced power is abusive.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe what power in relationships looks like and how it can impact healthy dynamics
• Recognize power imbalances in relationships
• Demonstrate ways to initiate conversations about power imbalances in real life relationships

Sexual Harassment

This workshop identifies differences between flirting and sexual harassment. During this workshop, youth will consider how power and power imbalances relate to sexual harassment, practice bystander intervention, discuss personal safety, and think through how their behaviors impact others.

Learning Objectives:

• Define and describe sexual harassment
• Identify gender based violence as a component of sexual harassment
• Differentiate between flirting and sexual harassment

Social Media + Sexuality

This workshop explores how social media impacts students’ relationship to sexuality while teaching strategies for safety

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss how social media plays a role in sex and sexuality
• Identify strategies to set boundaries with social media for ourselves and with each other
• Introduce relevant laws related to young people and sexual social media use

Getting Tested

This workshop walks youth through the experience and strategy planning of going to a clinic to get tested for STIs. During the workshop, youth will discuss how to access STI testing, think through other reasons young people might go to clinics, and practice advocating for themselves with medical providers.

Learning Objectives: Recognize the importance of STI testing Practice strategizing to access and advocating for their get clinic-based care Locate a Youth Friendly clinic nearest to their school or residence

Intersecting Identities + Navigating Oppression

This workshop guides participants through an intersectional and personal exploration of gender and sexuality.

Learning Objectives:

• Define intersectionality and how it shapes our experiences of identity
• Explore salient identities for participants and how they influence their understanding of gender and sexuality
• Identify strategies for navigating oppression while taking care of ourselves and each other

Our Anatomy: Words That Work for Us

This workshop introduces sexual and reproductive anatomy. Youth explore differences between slang and medical terms, identify myths about sexual anatomy, and can anonymously address questions and/or concerns.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe differences between slang and medical sexual anatomy terminology
• Apply increased comfort using sexuality vocabulary and discussing anatomy
• Recognize common myths about sexual anatomy