Comprehensive sexuality education program

Education

Comprehensive Sexuality education program

Comprehensive Sexuality Education at CCGSD

When we teach comprehensive sexuality education to youth, we teach empathy. Empathy creates a greater understanding of our different experiences.

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is defined by UNESCO as, “a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality”. CSE aims to equip learners with “knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will empower them to: realize their health, well-being, and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.”

CCGSD’s comprehensive sexuality education program develops and delivers curriculum for youth, educators, and youth supports (including parents & caregivers and community organizations) focused on helping youth make informed decisions and advocate for themselves. Our approach to CSE is inclusive, intersectional, interactive, and creative. We focus on providing sexual health education through a decolonial and intersectional lens that centers marginalized identities and experiences.

Our CSE program supports the rights of all Canadian youth, and especially, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, to comprehensive sexuality education that is inclusive, intersectional, and meets their needs. We do so by developing and delivering curriculum for both youth and educators and youth supporters.

Our Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program for Youth

As youth grow up, they deserve to learn about themselves. Our youth-focused Comprehensive Sexuality Education program teaches youth and allies how to know themselves, including their body, sense of identity, and experience of love. It encourages exploration, fluidity, and growth, no matter age, gender, body type, etc. 

The program equips youth and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to: realize their health, well-being and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; understand the influence of power on social and sexual relationships; and, understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.

Our comprehensive sexuality education program teaches youth empathy–a skill set that teaches us how to relate to ourselves and each other. To do so, the youth-focused part of our comprehensive sexuality education program creates and delivers workshops on two broad themes: gender, sexuality, and sexual health education, and gender-based violence prevention.

Our Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project aims to strengthen practical skills and understanding among youth on ways to prevent and address the gender-based violence they and their peers experience. We do so by creating relevant workshops, resources, and conferencing opportunities for youth and educators across Canada.

Not Just the Tip: Our Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program for Educators and Youth Supporters

Note: Pour la version française de notre programme pour une éducation complète à la sexualité pour les enseignant·e·s cliquez ici.

For youth to receive high-quality, inclusive, and intersectional comprehensive sexuality education, educators and youth supporters need access to the resources and training to teach and talk with youth about comprehensive sexuality education with confidence.

Launched in 2022, our Not Just the Tip Project is a $1.1 million multi-year project, funded by Health Canada, that provides guidance and knowledge for sexual health educators to develop the skills and confidence they need to teach and talk about sexuality and sexual health in a way that is intersectional, inclusive, and inspiring.

As part of this project, the CCGSD has developed the Not Just the Tip Toolkit: a resource that gives educators, parents & caregivers, and community organizations the support they need to strengthen their skills to teach comprehensive sexual health education by responding to the barriers they experience in undertaking this work.

Get your copy of our Not Just The Tip Toolkit and learn how it can help you talk with youth about comprehensive sexuality education.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.