What's Happening

By Suzanne Schrag, BA | February 8, 2021
Product Manager/Editor, ETR

Being able to recognize warning signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships and knowing how to access resources for help are critical components of preventing teen dating violence. But there is an additional focus you can include in a lesson to deepen the learning and reach adolescents with more of the knowledge and skills they need to keep themselves safe. 

By Laiah Idelson, MSPH & Stephanie Guinosso, PhD, MPH | February 2, 2021
YTH Initiative, ETR

The YTH Initiative at ETR has led the field in Youth-Centered Health Design for the past decade. We recently joined forces with our colleagues at ETR and broader communities to create Trauma-Informed Youth Centered Health Design (TIYCHD), an approach that interweaves trauma-principles into the YCHD approach. Our TIYCHD framework was designed in collaboration with experts in design, trauma and mental health, youth engagement, and public health through a community consultation with twelve participants and expert interviews with forty others.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 21, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

In the before time, ETR’s end of year message was usually focused on positive reflections about the year. Well, 2020 has not been a normal year. So it’s fitting that we’ve spent most of this year focused on unlearning. We’ve devoted time and energy into assessing what behaviors and patterns are not useful during a year of constant and unexpected change. We have focused on actively working to unlearn those patterns and behaviors and learn some new ones around scheduling, connection, sustaining racial justice efforts, and prioritizing wellness.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 1, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

December 1st marks Worlds AIDS Day and this year’s theme is Resilience and Impact. In ETR’s nearly 40-year history addressing HIV/AIDS, we have been committed partners in the fight to end the epidemic. We have witnessed the resilience of people living with HIV as well as the impact of the work to end HIV — particularly the work that centers the voices of communities most impacted.

By Calvin Hedrick, MA | November 30, 2020
TCCC Project Coordinator, ETR

Each November marks the annual Native American Heritage Month — celebrating rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories as well as acknowledging the important contributions of Native people. In honor of this year's Native American Heritage Month, Calvin Hedrick shares a few of his recommendations for significant pieces of contemporary culture and art from Native artists and creatives.

By Tatyana Moaton, MBA-HRM | November 20, 2020
Consultant/Subject Matter Expert, ETR

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is recognized each year on November 20th. This year, Tatyana Moaton shares her reflections on the purpose of TDOR and the critical importance of uplifting trans voices, leadership, and communities.

By Mia Barrett, MEd | November 11, 2020
Project Coordinator, ETR

Talking about birth control options is the bread and butter for many sex educators—handing out charts that list each method, pointing out failure rates, busting myths.  Whether you are new to the field or have been at this for a while, your "Birth Control 101” lesson might need a fresh spark.  Here are three ways to help young people get the most out of your class.  

By Jill Denner, PhD | October 20, 2020
Senior Research Scientist II, ETR

I am often asked how my work in STEM education fits at an organization that focuses on health education and health equity. This blog post is my attempt to answer that question. I believe that it is at the intersection of STEM and Health education that we will find creative solutions to the social injustice and COVID-19-related problems we are facing right now.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | October 7, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

October is one of my favorite months—it brings us Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Halloween and all things spooky, my favorite season—Fall (boots weather!), and LGBTQ+ History month!

By Spencer Spotts | August 25, 2020
ETR Marketing and Communications, ETR

Over the past few months, summer wildfires have once again ignited across the country, especially hitting areas of California with high intensity during a time with already stretched and limited resources. As a California-based organization, we are acutely aware of how deeply this impact is felt by individuals and communities across the state.

By The ETR Team | June 2, 2020

Our hearts are heavy as we have watched these recent tragic events unfold. The violent, senseless, preventable deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade are an all too familiar reminder of the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation.

By Debra Christopher, MSM | May 26, 2020
Ambassador for Health and Learning, ETR

In the spirit of ETR’s health equity mission, we have recently embarked on a journey to develop research-based guidance on steps an individual can take to achieve well-being and build resilience. We learned that, while self-care is an important component, our sense of purpose, our reliance on social connectedness, and our understanding and managing of the context in which we live (environmental, social and political pressures) are also as critical to our well-being.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2020
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

What a year to be recognizing Star Wars Day, am I right? With so much grief in the world, it feels a little challenging to celebrate anything, including May the 4th.

By Gillian Silver, MPH, CHES | January 8, 2020
Research Dissemination Specialist, ETR

My very first day working at ETR fell on our organization’s All Staff Retreat. It was an energizing day that allowed our growing staff to share priorities and interests, and to embrace a growth mindset in how we approach our work. An idea explored by Carol S. Dweck, adopting a growth mindset helps us move through challenges by identifying the opportunity within them. Inspired by my introduction to the organization, I wondered how the field of sexuality education can apply a #growthmindset to the topic of adolescent romantic relationships.

By Mia Barrett, MEd | December 19, 2019
Research Associate, ETR

Cheers erupted from the audience at the 24^th Congress of the World Association of Sexual Health (WAS) in Mexico City when Anne Philpott of The Pleasure Project urged sexuality educators to “Stop preaching and start having fun!  Learn to say YES to good, safe sex!” Later, WAS released an official Pleasure Declaration, stating that sexual pleasure is a fundamental human right. In a world where public health is so often focused on preventing negative outcomes and managing ill-health, this declaration and the conference’s focus on pleasure was revolutionary.

By John Shields, PhD, MSW | December 13, 2019
Senior Research Scientist, ETR

The US Department of Education’s proposed regulations on Title IX recently took an important step forward in the adoption process and the regulations may become official policy in the next few weeks. From our perspective as consultants and researchers in the K-12 space, our analysis of the regulations yields several significant implications on Title IX infrastructure, practices, and compliance.

By Emma Schlamm | December 9, 2019
Program Coordinator, YTH Initiative at ETR

First published on the blog of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative

The YTH Initiative of ETR, in partnership with the Public Health Institute (PHI) and GoJoven Honduras, is implementing and evaluating ZonaSegura. ZonaSegura is a multi-faceted tech-based intervention that uses a website, native mobile app, and a WhatsApp messaging campaign to prevent teen dating violence among Honduran youth. The evaluation has demonstrated that the power of partnership and human effort is an essential and irreplaceable component of a digital solution’s success.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 2, 2019
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

Sunday, December 1, 2019, marked the 31^st observance of World AIDS Day. The theme for 2019 is “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Community by Community.” This feels especially appropriate since we have been developing community-driven responses from the beginning. While reflecting on the nearly four decades of the HIV pandemic, ETR started looking back at our response since the earliest reported cases. Check out this retrospective of ETR’s history developing some of the nation's leading HIV education, training and research.