Youth Curriculum Expansion

SERC’s Youth Curriculum: Planning for the Future

Written by Bren Dixon, Sexuality & Reproductive Health Facilitator, Resource Specialization

It’s been a year of adjustments and growth to our youth programming as we navigate the strange educational waters of the pandemic. We’ve adapted our curriculum to virtual formats, learned what Zoom, Teams, and Meets means, and found new ways of connecting to youth and teachers. But as we look ahead to the fall with the (hopefully!) return to in-person presentations we are also looking ahead to the needs of Manitoba’s youth. Part of this process includes a full review, update, and growth of our youth curriculum.

Currently, our Winnipeg team handles the bulk of our high school programming including sexuality, sexual health, relationships, mental health, and safer substance use. Our Brandon team expands into grade five and the middle school years but only offers series on sexual health, relationships, and sexuality. One benefit of adapting to remote learning has created space for both teams to present province-wide, but we’ve recognized the need to expand the different topics and age ranges to all regions. And so, the work has begun! Our team is reviewing all our current curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of youth today. As we enter the 2021/22 school year our programming will be up to date, standardized between our teams, and available to all Manitobans.