Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed is a coalition of educational, religious, health, social service and advocacy organizations, as well as concerned individuals that promotes lifelong healthy sexuality by advocating for policies on responsible sexuality education and access to confidential health care services.
State Update
Responsible Sex Ed Heard in State House Education Policy and Oversight Committee
Supported by the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed, HF906 received an informational hearing on Thursday April 2nd. An audio recording of the hearing is available at www.house.mn. Advance to time point 54:10 to hear testimony.
HF 906, Responsible Family Life and Sexuality Education, seeks to create standards for sex education for Minnesota public school students in grades 7-12. Key Components include:
- Age-appropriate, medically accurate education that includes an abstinence-first approach, while also including information about contraception and disease prevention
- Includes parents in the development of standards on the district level
- Allows parents the choice of exempting their children from participation in all or part of a sex ed program
Sex Ed Legislation Profiled
The Responsible Sex Education bill (HF 906) and its new House author, Representative Frank Hornstein, have been profiled in Session Weekly. The article starts on page 20. Whose Values Are They Anyway? Lawmaker Carries on Family Legacy with Sex Education Bill (PDF) by Kris Berggren.
What else is happening in Minnesota?
Sexuality Education Residency - A Unique Opportunity for College Students in Minnesota
PCR's Birds & Bees Project is offering a unique opportunity for college students in Minnesota to gain extensive training in delivering sexuality education for middle and high school aged youth. The residency is a skills-based experience designed to prepare future educators with tools and knowledge that promote adolescent sexual health. Applications deadline is May 1, 2009. Please contact Amy Kodet at Akodet@birdsandbees.org for more information, or visit their website for the program description and application.
Federal Update
SIECUS State Profiles for FY 2008 Released
Sexuality Education and Information Council of the United States (SIECUS) recently released the SIECUS State Profiles for Fiscal Year 2008. SIECUS State Profiles is a portrait of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and their intersection with sexuality education programs, organized by state, in the United States. Minnesota is one of twenty-two states not receiving Title V section 510 dollars for abstinence-only-until-marriage funding and one of only seven states not receiving any form of federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage. To read the state profiles, visit www.siecus.org.
In the News
Getting Past No: What Happens Once Schools Turn Down Ab-Only?
www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog