Education for Every Body: Evidence-Based, Healthy Practices for Teaching Age-Appropriate Content about Bodies, Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships, October 19, 2026

Education for Every Body: Evidence-Based, Healthy Practices for Teaching Age-Appropriate Content about Bodies, Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships

Date: October 19, 2026

Register for all 4 workshops and save!  See separate link to register for all workshops at a reduced rate of $500.

Schedule: Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by 3:00 p.m.

Location: River's Crossing, 850 College Station Rd, Athens, GA 30602

Cost: $160

Description: This engaging, interactive (and fun!) workshop is for teachers, social workers, healthcare workers, school counselors, family liaisons, administrators, and any other adult who works with children and adolescents in formal or informal education settings. Drawing on research and workshop participants’ experiences and questions, we will talk about all the uncomfortable things that come up in school settings related to bodies, gender, sexuality, relationships, and more. Participants will learn age-appropriate pedagogical ways to respond to topics that emerge naturally in students’ conversations as well as issues that arise in formal curriculum including health, science, and sex education.

Participants will:

1. Consider the ways that casual "body talk" by students of all ages impacts classroom environments, behavior, social relationships, and learning;
2. Discuss leading-edge research about different approaches to health, sexuality, and relationship education and the negative outcomes for adolescents and young adults associated with a lack of medically-accurate education - and the negative outcomes for society;
3. Practice using medically-accurate, ethical, and age-appropriate language for body parts, gender, sexuality, intimacy, consent, bodily autonomy, and both romantic relationships and friendships;
4. Explore how students can experience power over their own bodies (bodily autonomy) in educational spaces and why that matters;
5. Brainstorm and role-play some of the most difficult conversations that arise in school settings with a goal of incorporating mindful, ethical, and age-appropriate language (e.g. sexist and misogynistic behavior and comments; discussion about pornographic materials; conversations about friendships and romantic relationships; insults and bullying about body size and body image; insults and bullying about sexuality; displays of public affection; dress codes, etc.);
6. Have some fun and feel more empowered as a result of their own confidence and competence around these topics;
7. Create a short-term and longer-term action plan for integrating more knowledgeable and ethical approaches to teaching and learning about bodies, gender, sexuality, and relationship education across the content areas and in disciplining practices.

Registration & Cancellation Deadline:  October 12, 2026

Cancellation and Refund Policy: All cancellations must be submitted via email to mbaer@uga.edu before the cancellation deadline in order to receive a full refund. Cancellations after the cancellation deadline are non-refundable. If cancellation is not made by the deadline, and you are not able to attend, you or your organization is still liable for payment.

Registration Transfer: If you have registered for an event but cannot attend, you may transfer your registration to another person. Simply email 48 hours before the event to mbaer@uga.edu with the registration information of the person who will attend.

Payment Information

Paying by check: If you choose to pay by check by submitting a purchase order, the amount due will adjust to $0.00 because you haven't actually paid anything yet. We will send an official invoice by email showing the amount due and the address to mail payment so that you can submit for payment. Checks should be made payable to “UGA”.

Paying by UGA General Ledger Journal Entry: If you are a UGA faculty or staff member and are paying by departmental journal entry, the amount due will adjust to $0.00 because you haven't actually paid anything yet. Please enter the name, phone number and email address of the person responsible for the funds (chartstring) you are using to pay for the registration fee so we can work with them to make the journal entry. Registration will not be confirmed until we have this information.

Invoice procedure for everyone paying by check/PO or UGA Journal Entry: Invoices will be sent a few days after the registration is confirmed. When you successfully complete the registration process, you will receive two emails from Melanie Baer (mbaer@uga.edu). One to let you know the registration has been received and a second when it is confirmed. A few days later, you will receive an email from Lori Robbins (lori.robbins@uga.edu) including a copy of the official invoice and the payment address. Please don’t remit payment until you receive the email from Lori Robbins as sometimes checks are sent to the wrong UGA office by mistake. This process often takes up to 5 business days to complete.

Paying by credit card: Credit cards sometimes aren’t processed until a few days after you submit the registration in Marketplace. Please make sure the card number is correct, the billing zip code matches the billing address for the card and the card isn’t expired, or expiring in the next few days. If the credit card doesn’t go through for some reason, you will have to re-submit the registration.