Hastings Prince Edward Public Health works with local school communities and educators to ensure sexual health education is accessible and meaningful to all children. Every child has a right to comprehensive sexual health education and access to sexual health care. This knowledge is an important contributing factor to the health and well-being of Canadian youth (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008). The teen years are a time of major transition, when young people develop many of the habits, patterns of behaviour, and relationships they will carry into their adult life. These habits, behaviours, and relationships impact health in the adolescent years, but also have an impact on potential risks for diseases later in adulthood, as well as the health of future children.
HPEPH Services
School Health Clinics
Clinics are currently offered in all HPEDSB secondary schools. The public health nurse assigned to your secondary school can provide immunizations, tobacco cessation and sexual health information and services. Check for clinic hours or your student success team to connect with your public health nurse.
Sexual Health Clinics
Sexual Health Clinics are also offered through HPEPH offices. In-person visits to HPEPH offices are temporarily on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, please visit our Sexual Health Clinic page.
Students who may need these services, can call the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Sexual Health Line at 613-966-5500 ext. 418 for confidential support.
Using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework, schools, school boards, parents and community partners can work together to develop healthy school environments that promote and support student well-being. Information below has been organized following this framework.
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
H&PE Elementary Resources (Grades 1 – 8)
Ophea’s H&PE Elementary Resources include 130 ready-to-use lesson plans per grade, student templates and assessment tools. The resources are organized into two main sections that are consistent with the 2015 H&PE Curriculum: Movement Competence & Active Living, and Healthy Living. With the release of the 2019 Elementary H&PE curriculum, Ophea will deliver new tools as they become available.
Draw the Line (Grades 1-12)
An interactive campaign that aims to engage Ontarians in a dialogue about sexual violence. The campaign challenges common myths about sexual violence and equips bystanders with information on how to intervene safely and effectively. User guides (both elementary and secondary), posters and postcards are used to guide discussion on sexual violence.
Teaching Sexual Health (Grades 4 – 12)
Find lesson plans and classroom resources (in English and French) for Grades 4 to 8 and students with differing abilities by grade, topic, language or resource type. All lesson plans include specific curriculum outcomes, material lists, teacher notes and tips.
Always Changing (Grades 5 – 8)
School-based puberty education and healthy, active living program. Always Changing provides user-friendly, free downloadable teacher guides, student manuals and worksheets.
Canadian Foundation for Aids Research (Grades 7 – 12)
These educator guides are designed to be a comprehensive and ready-to-use teaching resource for Canadian intermediate and secondary educators. Guides provide general resources for educators, activity lesson plans and supplementary materials. There are four guides: Healthy Relationships & Consent, Identity & Self-awareness, HIV/AIDS Basics and HIV Risk & Prevention.
H&PE Secondary Resources (Grades 9 – 12)
Ophea’s H&PE Secondary Resources support teachers in helping students acquire the physical and health literacy skills needed to thrive in the 21st century and lead a healthy, active life.
Presentations
- Sexual Consent Presentation (Grades 9-12) – A public health nurse from HPEPH can provide this presentation to secondary students. This presentation outlines the important points to of sexual consent.
- Contraception and Birth Control Presentation (Grades 7-9) – This presentation discusses birth control options, reproductive system, safer sex, and pregnancy options.
- Types of Contraception (Birth Control) Activity – A kit accompanies this activity. Submit a request to order the kit.
- Condom Demonstration Activity – A kit accompanies this activity. Submit a request to order the kit.
- Healthy Relationships Presentation (Grades 8 & 9)
- STI Presentation – (Grades 7-12)
School and Classroom Leadership
The Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education provide guidance to educators and policy makers for the development and evaluation of comprehensive evidence-based sexual health education in Canada. These guidelines include a section documenting the importance of comprehensive sexual health education in Canada, Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education, a list and description of appropriate educators and settings for the provision of comprehensive sexual health education, and benchmarks for the provision of STI prevention education and linking to STI testing in schools. The guide is now available in English and in French.
Ophea’s Approaches to Teaching Healthy Living: A Guide for Secondary Educators is an online resource developed to support secondary educators in planning and teaching the Healthy Living strand of the 2015 Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum.
Student Engagement
Support students in developing a gender sexuality alliance (GSA) to promote welcoming, caring, respectful and safe schools for 2SLGBTQI+ students and their allies.
- A Guide to Virtual GSAs
All you need to know and prepare to run a virtual Gender Sexuality Alliance safer space. A Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) can be an essential safer space for many 2SLGBTQI+ youth. To ensure that this valuable space is not lost when meetings cannot happen in person, here are some tips and suggestions for how to run a virtual GSA.
Social and Physical Environments
2SLGBTQI+ Supports and Information
- Anti-2SLGBTQI Cyberbullying: A resource for educators
This resource highlights the disproportionate harm that 2SLGBTQI+ young people face as a result of cyberbullying. It offers educators and school staff a range of practical strategies for prevention and intervention that respond to the specific context of anti-2SLGBTQI+ bias, discrimination and violence within the school community, online and beyond. - LGBTQ Inclusive School Place Starts
- HPEDSB Resource Guide to Support Gender Identity and Gender Expression
Home, School and Community Partnership
Parent Resources
Additional Resources
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists – The Sex & U website offers credible information on your body, sexual activity, 2SLGBTQI+, STIs, contraception, pregnancy and consent. As well, they have specific webpages covering menstruation and HPV.
Sexual Health Ontario – Find a clinic near you for testing, treatment and counseling. This site also offers information on STIs and reproductive health. Information is provided in English and French.
Genderbread Person 4.0 – A teaching tool for breaking the big concept of gender down into bite-sized, digestible pieces.
Egale – Resources and research that provides reliable & up-to-date tools and information for 2SLGBTQI people & communities, service providers, schools, and companies.
