Registration Closes November 7th

November 21, 2024  |  Nashville, Tennessee

Target Audience: Counselors, Deans of Students, Classroom Teachers

Description: Conversations connected to gender and sexual identity, unfortunately, have become increasingly controversial and politicized. More and more, education around human sexuality is plagued by disinformation, pushback, and hostility, often resulting in direct attacks against public and independent schools, as well as individual staff members. Reassuringly, how this pushback -- whether relatively low-key or highly disruptive -- plays out within school communities is most often predictable and can be managed successfully. Facilitated by published expert and long-time independent school educator Deborah Roffman, this workshop will guide participants through the complex dynamics embedded within these conversations. Attendees will acquire proactive and responsive strategies for empowering students, teachers, parents, administrators, and the institution to have productive conversations around human sexuality. Participants’ toolkit will include:

• Centering student needs--rather than adult needs--in program development
• Creating a safe environment for diverse student and adult viewpoints
• Identifying and reducing common sources of vulnerability around sexuality education

Workshop Leader:

Deborah Roffman is a master teacher and a constant learner whose most important teachers are her students. Having taught sexuality education in grades 3-12, inclusive, what she has learned about young people and what they think, wonder, worry, and feel about sexuality could fill several volumes. From the day she first entered a classroom in 1971, she has spent her time outside the classroom continuously speaking, writing, and passing on her knowledge about young people and their needs to parents, teachers, counselors and the general public. What drives her is a single vision: that one day it will be families and schools―not media, merchandisers, entertainers, peers, and popular culture―who become the primary, as in first and most important, resources for young people about a topic so essential to life, health, and happiness.

It is within the independent school community ― settings where exciting and creative new ideas thought up on Monday can be in place by Wednesday ― that she has found her professional home since 1975. A veteran of the fledgling sexuality education movement in the 1970’s, she was one of the handful of early pioneers whose “see one, teach one, train the next person” determination established this important field.

Ms. Roffman is in constant demand as a presenter and workshop leader across the United States and has provided training and consultation for hundreds of public and private schools and youth serving organizations. Among her professional peers, Ms. Roffman is viewed as an articulate and powerful advocate for children and a revered and singularly effective spokeswoman for her field. In 2003, former Surgeon General David Satcher appointed her — the only educator on the panel — to serve on the National Advisory Council for Sexual Health under the auspices of the Center for Primary Care, Morehouse College of Medicine.

What is perhaps most remarkable about Ms. Roffman’s work is her ability to speak the language of common ground around topics often fraught with controversy and conflict. With uncommon, good sense and unshakable commitment to core, universal values, hers is the voice that most often cuts through the rhetoric, the politics, and the false polarities that keep adults focused on their needs and interests, rather than squarely on children.

Deborah and her husband, David, were high school sweethearts. They live in Baltimore, Maryland, and have two grown sons and four grandchildren.

Registration Pricing:

Attendees will receive a full refund for an in-person conference if they cancel up to six weeks prior to the event and a 50% refund up to four weeks before the event. Refunds are not possible after four weeks prior to the event due to the costs incurred for food orders, hotel contracts, venue costs, and other administrative and setup fees. All refunds will reflect a 15% administration fee.