The Circuit
Sign up for the online training and purchase the kit
The Circuit is an inclusive and comprehensive Sexual Health Education Program for students aged 14-18 years old.
Developed by Jessy Wollen, founder of Shift Education, Certified Sexual Health Educator & Teacher, the program includes 10 sexual health education units that are offered as game-based stations. This 75-minute “grab-and-go” lesson involves students moving from station to station in small groups—much like a fitness circuit—learning about different aspects of sexual and physical health, and healthy relationships. Examples of stations include:
- The Healthy Relationships Station – Students learn how to identify healthy versus unhealthy actions in a relationship.
- The Safer Sex Station – Students learn about different types of birth control.
- The Period Station – Students play games that team them about periods.
The Circuit offers an accessible way for teachers to meet the Physical and Health Education Outcomes mandated by the province without having to have a whole lot of expertise. It is student-driven and encourages inquiry-based learning without teachers having to hover.
How are you delivering comprehensive sexual health education? This is a fun, pro-do program!
Who's it for?
The Circuit is for teachers who need to meet the Physical and Health Education Outcomes mandated by the province. You may feel nervous about it or out of your depth. That’s okay! This program is for you if you:
- want to bring sexuality and gender into the classroom (or gym) in a safe, accessible, and easy way
- are willing to hold space for a student-centered lesson that requires you to manage the flow and be a leader
- want to build your capacity to be comfortable talking about sexuality in a professional environment
- want your students to see you as an ally
The Circuit program was created for students 14 and up, however, once you become familiar with each unit you will see there is flexibility in how The Circuit is delivered and to whom. For example, in some districts, Physical and Health Education teachers have purchased 3 kits and have divided the learning into three topics of learning throughout the year. The 14 to 16-year-old students learn through topics split up over a year or semester depending on the school system.
No matter what age your students are, sexuality is present in the culture. All of them want to learn about sexuality and intimacy, to know that they’re okay, and to have a safe adult to check in with.
Benefits
The Circuit is a lesson that can be run in the gym or dance studio. Teachers can run the lesson anytime and repeat it as often as necessary. Stations can even be mixed and matched and customized as needed.
Teachers can find their way into a sometimes difficult conversation through this training. You’ll learn to hold space for a safe environment for learning, but you don’t have to have a lot of expertise or direct engagement with sexuality-based topics. You can start the process of inquiry for students and lead them to reliable resources.
Plus, you will build your capacity to talk comfortably and confidently about sexual health education. You will also be better able to support your students as an “askable adult”.
You can take pressure off of the school counsellors by giving the Physical Education Teachers this professional development training. You can rest assured that the P.H.E. requirement is supported in your school and you’ll know that the P.E. Teachers have been trained and feel prepared. Every year they present The Circuit they build knowledge and comfort to teach Health Education skillfully.
Your staff will be better able to manage sexual health-related behaviours and situations that arise. The overall health of your school will increase when there are more safe, askable adults for your students.
You can build the capacity of your community to navigate the challenges and concerns that arise out of sexuality with this professional development training.
You will be supporting teachers in addressing topics outside of their comfort zones.
SOGI will be integrated into your schools in a natural and meaningful way and teachers can communicate the school’s values within the container of The Circuit.
You can take the lead and build your brand as a progressive district that cares about the mental health and overall well-being of its students and the relationships they are a part of.
The Circuit also, of course, benefits students who will learn the following:
- to develop more body awareness
- to identify the reproductive anatomy
- about typical and painful reproductive body functions
- to advocate for their health and wellness
- how to clarify their values in friendships and relationships
- to make healthy sexual decisions
- how to take better care of themselves—their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing
- to identify reliable, science-based resources for support
- about birth control and condom use
- to identify resources in the community and what to expect in terms of support
- how to identify healthy vs unhealthy relationships
- to develop their boundaries in friendships and sexual decision making
- about menstruation and ovulation
- to find reliable resources online
- to speak more skillfully about their body, feelings, and expectations
Learn how to offer The Circuit to your students! Sign up for the online training or book now for in-person
Online Training
The Circuit Online Training unpacks The Circuit program in detail. Learn how to deliver the program and how to use the materials included in The Circuit Kit.
In-Person Training
Suitable for between 5 and 28 teachers from up to 5 schools in British Columbia, The Circuit can be booked during regular school hours.
The Circuit Kit
The Circuit Kit includes all the materials you need to lead Shift Education’s inclusive and comprehensive Sexual Health Education Program.
Details for In-Person
Suitable for between 5 and 28 teachers from one or more (up to five) schools, The Circuit can be booked during regular school hours, on any day between Monday and Friday.
This training is usually booked and organized by a department head. Pick your date (with some options if you can’t get your first choice) and get in touch with me. We’ll book it and go over the details. Then it’s up to you to involve other schools if you wish. You can give them a shout, send them a link to this page, and save money for your school by teaming up.
Please note that a kit is provided for the host school as part of the training, but each guest school will need to purchase their own kit.
Please also note, a Bonus Lesson Demonstration Day can only be booked for one school at a time. Jessy will come to your school and run The Circuit and by the end of the day, you will be running The Circuit.
The Circuit is offered in person as a one full day professional development training. Start and end times are flexible, but generally 8:30am to 3:30pm works best.
The day begins with The Askable Adult, which is a prerequisite that aims to give teachers the ability to build their capacity to teach sexual health, to respond to student questions, and to manage sensitive issues. It also helps you understand the role you play and requires you to clarify your own values and biases so you don’t project them onto your students.
The Askable Adult is followed by learning The Circuit lessons and layouts, participating in the lessons and identifying strategies to teach aspects of the P.H.E. curriculum.
You’ll get to experience the scope and sequence and see how they build on each other.
Again, 8:30am to 3:30pm tends to work best, with 3 x 75-minute lessons (1st, 2nd, and 3rd blocks work best with the 4th block to debrief). There’ll be a debriefing afterward to go over questions, customizations, etc.
Again, please note that this bonus offering can only be booked for one school at a time.
I will travel to any school within British Columbia to deliver the training. A travel fee, to be discussed upon booking.
The preferred venue is a high school gymnasium, a dance studio or a large classroom.
In terms of teaching materials, one or more of The Circuit Kits per school should be purchased.
NOTE: If a professional development training is out of the question, I can also teach The Circuit myself as a one-off offering. I will show up as a sex-positive expert with my own kit, set-up, and teach any of the 75-minute lessons from start to finish (including the condom demo if it’s for a grade 9 or 10 class). I will hold the space and deepen the level of inquiry. I will also manage any language or behaviours that may derail the lesson. Class size is limited to 30 students (i.e. no double classes).