Sex Education for Grown-Ups

June 2, 2005

Contacts:
Ellen Lubell – (w) 212-949-4938, (c) 917-854-6864
Emily Crossan – (w) 917-286-1548, (c) 201-344-5742

145 “Walkers and Talkers” to Speak to Teens Frankly about Sex

When:
Friday, June 3, 2005
6:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Where:
Hunter College
Lexington Avenue and 68th Street
West Building, Room 714
New York, NY

Who:
145 parent and adult graduates will be recognized for their efforts to educate youth in Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and the Lower East Side about sexual health at The Children’s Aid Society’s (CAS) Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program’s Parent Family Life/Sex Education Program’s 19th annual graduation.

Called “Walkers and Talkers” or “Promotoros,” these graduates are parents of youth in CAS’ Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and adults from communities served by the program who have undergone a 45-hour training in sex education.

This training supports them in their roles as the primary sexuality educators of their own children and those in their neighborhoods and allows them to facilitate discussion within their communities. Classes met weekly or bi-weekly from January through May at Children’s Aid and other community organizations.

The Walkers and Talkers model is an outgrowth of the national Plain Talk program funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, current supporter of the CAS version.

What:
The CAS Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program is a comprehensive “above-the-waist” model that helps adolescents focus their energies and outlook on a future that does not include becoming a teen parent. Through daily participation and support, teens in low-income families and communities are given opportunities and encouragement in many areas of their lives, including education, health care, and the working world.

Parent participants are available for interview both before and at Friday’s ceremony.

The Children’s Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving more than 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with a network of services that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation. For additional information, visit www.childrensaidsociety.org or www.stopteenpregnancy.com.