About
This class is for 13 - 16 year olds. We can stretch this! If you’re 12 and fit in with 13 - 16 year olds, join us. If you’re 17 and fit in with 13 - 16 year olds, join us!
All teens are welcome - trans and cis teens, non-gendered teens, lgbtq+ teens, straight teens - all welcome. We’ll be a big mix of wonder.
We’ll talk about all the stuff they don’t teach you in school, like:
*how to create your own personal safe space to imagine into, feel safe in, rest in.
*whole bodies, including hearts and hands and reproductive/sexual bodies (is it possible our whole body is our sexual body?).
*sex - what it is, what it isn’t - we’ll see how expansive we can we get in our definition.
*gender - who came up with that idea, and why? who benefits from strictly defined gender? how can we expand gender, how have we already expanded it? what might our world be like if we let go of gendered boundaries - what might that feel like? we’ll envision one!
*harm to our sexual bodies. what’s included in sexual harm? can language cause harm? what healing/support measures can we imagine taking if harm already has happened to us, or if it happens to us in the future. we’ll create a book of helpful resources we can carry with us, including emergency phone numbers, contact numbers for people we trust, what to do, where to go if harm ever happens to you, or to a friend.
*how to talk to your parents about stuff that might be hard to talk to your parents about.
*how to feel comfy in the body you have. we’ll design some swimsuits!
*how to figure out if you’re queer, or trans, or straight, or cis, and how to talk about it with other people, beginning with us/our group.
*what’s available to support trans and gender queer teens, including information, books, films, groups, surgeries, counselors, schools, clinics.
*how to rest. yep. writing this twice, because it’s that important!
*safe and trustworthy on-line sites to learn about sex and sexuality.
*what’s the deal with porn? what experiences have we already had with watching porn? have they been pos, neg, or something else?
*we’ll create a sex ed curriculum for our schools, a curriculum that covers what you want and need it to cover, for you and for your friends.
*great books that include sex, fiction and non-fiction - you can tell us about the ones you love and we’ll tell you about - show you - the ones we love!
*we’ll have lots and lots of snacks at the ready
We look forward to having you with us.
Dates + Time
We are offering this class twice this Summer in Kingston, NY. First Session is Monday July 20th - Friday July 24th from 2pm - 4pm. Second session is Monday Aug 10th - Fri Aug 14th from 2pm - 4pm. Held at Score Dance Studio, which is not an accessible space.
Your family can do one session, or both. We recommend doing both, since the workshops build upon one-another, the class is pretty great, and you don’t get anything like this in school!
Registration & Cost
If you'd like your teen to attend class, the first step is filling out the form below, and the second step is having a conversation with me over the phone.
I'm accepting sliding scale donations for this class - we'll talk about this when we speak. Scholarships are available - you choose what’s best for you. You also can choose $0, if that lets your kid/teen get to class with us.
Teachers
This class is co-taught by Isa and Elke - see below for their bios.
Teacher: Isa Coffey
I’ve taught sex ed for decades, in many forms and in many venues. Recently, I’ve found myself curious about what we can learn about our sexual selves when we get very quiet; when we listen to, discover, and share the intimate stories of our bodies; when we have the chance to learn within trusted community; when we have the chance to remember and honor our past; when we develop pathways, including in the imaginal realm, for growing up and out from those deep, foundational places; when we give ourselves time to go slowly; when we are held with kindness and steadiness for the journey.
Photo by Katherine Ferrier
Teacher: Elke
Elka is an undergraduate 20-year-old trans man who enjoys time in the wilderness, making art, and can tend fire like a pro to keep hands warm for crafting together in the cold months. Elka has been a camp-counselor, and a life long inclusive scout - as a teen serving as a youth representative in the national board and now facilitating scouting locally for youth and adults. Elka skates on a roller derby team and appreciates the community of interesting people around it.
