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The home for VPR's coverage of health and health industry issues affecting the state of Vermont.

What Sex Ed Looks Like In Vermont Today

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"Vermont Edition" is talking about what sex education looks like in the state.

Amid nationwide debate over topics like abortion policy, curricula for sex education classes vary widely state by state. We're talking about what sex ed looks like here in Vermont, how health teachers think about that part of their job, and how new education requirements like proficiency-based learning intersect with teaching kids about sexual health.

We're joined by Sarah Lemieux, a health educator at Hartford High School, who's been teaching health and wellness for 30 years.

We're also joined by Amelia Schlossberg. They facilitate the 7th through 9th grade OWL class at the First Universalist Society of Burlington. OWL stands for "our whole lives" and is a comprehensive sexuality education program put together by the UU church and the United Church of Christ. 

And we'll hear from Rose Martellaro, a peer advocate counselor at the Vermont Center for Independent Living. The disability rights organization is staffed by people with disabilities and also runs a group for LGBTQ people with disabilities at the Pride Center of Vermont. She's organizing an "inclusive sexuality education task force" with educators from across the state.

Some resources suggested by guests:

WISE of the Upper Valley (gender based violence education)

VTCARES (HIV/AIDS prevention)

Outright VT (LGBTQ+)

VTNetwork (domestic and gender based violence prevention)

Pregnancy Center of the Upper Valley

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

Sex, etc.

Scarleteen

Information on the Burlington OWL program

GLAM Vermont

Broadcast on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
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