Ethical Sex/ual/ity Education: Exploring Theory and Navigating Practice (3 CE Hours)

1. The origins of ethics in education and how this impacts teaching what many consider controversial topics that are human sexuality.
2. Specific ethical challenges that sexuality education professionals might face and options for navigating to resolution.
3. Strategies for creating and maintaining boundaries, and resources.
4. What it means to advocate for and actively promote accountability in the interdisciplinary work that is sexuality education.

1. Explain 2 ethical challenges that sexuality education professionals might face
2. Describe 1 strategy for creating and maintaining boundaries, and resources
3. Explain what advocacy in sex education looks like

Speaker Bio:

Richelle has been a professional Sexuality Educator since 1992; certified as an Educator by the American Association of Sexuality Educator Counselors and Therapists since 1996 and as a Supervisor since 2014.  She teaches a multitude of subjects that are Human Sexuality to 4^th – 12^th grades in schools, institutions of higher education, public, private and non-profit organizations, faith communities, alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities, jails…anywhere she is invited…for a cumulative number of students in the thousands. When training colleagues and those working in human services, she emphasizes that sexuality education should be taught from a medically accurately informed, compassionate, and person-centered perspective with methods that are developmentally relevant, culturally appropriate, grounded in research, and informed by a code of ethics.  She never forgets that teaching also means learning from her students.

Currently, Richelle is Director of Education Services for SO SECS….Southern Ohio Sexuality Education and Consultation Services and a full-time doctoral student in the Leadership, Culture and Curriculum program at Miami University.  Her two-plus decade experiences in community-based education informs her research.  Richelle’s scholarship challenges contemporary sex ed curriculum standards (centering on the benefits of a comprehensive curriculum) and teaching preparation practices (supporting those who want to be/are credentialed and trained).  She is an active volunteer member for AASECT, served on the Board of Directors as the Public Relations, Media and Advocacy Chair 2014-2016, and currently is the Media Committee Leader.  She also has served Look Both Ways (Colorado), Health Care Education and Training (Indiana), and Parents Families/Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Ohio), state of Ohio maternal and child health committees, teen pregnancy prevention groups, and is lead singer for a classic rock band. Raised in a traditional Catholic home and strongly influenced by education professionals who value the power of progressive teaching pedogogy, Richelle has a profound respect for diversity of all kinds, believes in prevention education and endeavors to empower people to make healthy choices for sexual pleasure, health and wellness.  Teaching about Human Sexuality is Richelle’s passion…she loves her work and can think of nothing else she’d rather do than talk about sex/ual/ity!