SexEd Works
SexEd Works is Healing to Action’s first survivor-led campaign. Graduates of HTA’s leadership program came up with the campaign idea after intensive healing and community-building that illuminated the multiple forms of trauma they had endured throughout their lives. They decided to work together to build a future where their sons and daughters do not experience the same violence that they survived.
Our Demands
ONE VOICE
to make sure that sex ed is taught in all Chicago Public Schools
FUNDING
for equal access to sex ed, regardless of zip code
CAREGIVER SUPPORT
to understand and teach kids about healthy relationships at home
Sexual health education is critical to curb gender-based violence:
-
1 in 3 adolescents experiences sexual violence at work
-
Over 80% of girls in grades 8-11 report sexual harassment
-
40-60% of black women experience sexual abuse before the age of 18
-
44% of Latinx women under 25 know a survivor of domestic violence
-
9 out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) students reported being harassed in the previous year.


The current state of sex ed in Chicago Public Schools
In 2013, CPS passed a policy to adopt the National Sexuality Health Education Standards for sexual health education from grades K-12.
But the policy is not being followed in the communities where gender-based violence is happening at the highest rates, depriving students of lifesaving education about consent, gender identity, and healthy relationships.