Sex Ed Week
The Center for Health and Well-being is collaborating with partners both on an off campus to provide a fun-filled week sharing sexual health education with GVSU students. The planning committee is student-led with student wants and needs in mind.
Our approach, as we work to promote sexual health on campus, is to engage in evidence-informed, sex-positive, inclusive, affirming, and empowering messages to all students so that we can reduce shame and stigma while supporting students in making the best decisions for themselves. To that end, we will be hosting events on a variety of topics, identities, and sexual activities to give students the tools they need to make informed decisions for themselves.
We support all students as they navigate their own sexual health - whatever that means to them.
Interested in attending an event? Check them all out below!
Monday
The Real Talk: LGBTQIA+ Students on Sexual Health and Wellness
Where: 1161 Kirkhof (LGBT Center)
When: 2:30-4:00pm
Registration Not Required
INT 100/201 APPROVED
This LGBTQIA+ student panel will discuss experiences of sex education, what was missing, and what their hopes are for the future of sex ed. Attendees will be able to participate in a moderated Q&A portion, hearing directly from their queer peers.
Paint and Sip (Monday, February 10)
Where: Fusion- Basement of Kirkhof
When: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Registration Not Required
Join AOD and CAB for a Valentine's Week Paint & Sip in the Fusion Room ! Enjoy mocktails prepared by AOD and embrace your inner artist with a sexual wellness-themed masterpiece!
Cupid’s Groove & Glow: Yoga and Zumba Fusion (Monday, February 10)
Location: Fieldhouse Dance Studio
Time: 8:15-9:15pm (this will be an hour long class)
Cost: Free
Sign up at this link
Join us for a special Valentine's Day group fitness class that combines the high-energy fun of Zumba with the calming benefits of yoga. We’ll begin with an upbeat Zumba session to get your heart pumping and wrap up class with a calming yoga flow to help you unwind and take the time to focus on your body and mind. This hour-long Valentine's dedicated class is the perfect way to celebrate loving your body!
Tuesday
GYT: FREE STI/HIV Testing (Tuesday Feb 11th)
Where: 215 DCIH Health Campus
When: 1:00-4:00pm
*Registration not required.
Walk ins Welcome!
FREE STI and HIV Testing
- FREE STI and HIV Testing
- The Kent County Health Department will be offer either urine or vaginal swabs for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
- The Red Project will be hosting free rapid HIV testing
STI Escape Room (Tuesday Feb 11)
Teams of participants will race against the clock to complete this escape room. For this activity, participants must successfully solve puzzles to successfully navigate 3 rooms. In room 1, participants will learn about pathogens that cause sexually transmitted infections (STI). In room 2, players will learn about the signs and symptoms that are associated with infections caused by various STI pathogens. In room 3, teams will be presented with 2 patients for whom they must determine which STIs they are presenting with and develop a care plan for the patients. Teams will need to find clues, solve puzzles, and learn about STIs in order to unlock rooms in order to escape. Can your team complete all 3 rooms in 50 minutes? The clock is ticking
Talk Back Tuesday: Ask a Sexpert (Tuesday Feb 11)
Where: Center for Women and Gender Equity ( Kirkoff 1201)
When: 4:00pm-5:30pm
*Registration not required.
INT 100/201 APPROVED
The Center for Women and Gender Equity is excited to bring Heather Alberda, GVSU’s Health Promotion Specialist, as a guest speaker for Talk Back Tuesday during Sex Ed Awareness Week
Please join Sex-pert Heather in the CWGE lobby 1201 Kirkhof on Tuesday, Feb. 11th from 4- 5: 30 pm for a judgement-free conversation on sexual health. Refreshments and free giveaways provided! All are welcome.
Wednesday
GYT: FREE STI/HIV Testing ( Wednesday Feb 12)
Where: Kirkhof 1142
When: 3:00pm-7:30pm
*Registration not required. Walk ins welcome!
FREE STI and HIV Testing
- Note the change of location from Holton Hooker to Kirkoff
- FREE STI and HIV Testing
- The Ottawa County Department of Public Health will be offer either urine or vaginal swabs for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
- The Red Project will be hosting free rapid HIV testing
Click, Share, Beware: Understanding Sextortion (Wednesday, February 12)
Where: Kirkhof 1104
When: 6:00-7:00pm
Registration not required
INT 100/201 APPROVED
Join the Wellness Information Team (WIT) and Grand Valley Police Department for a dive into the ins and outs of sextortion online. Learn how to identify, steer clear of, and maybe even help a friend avoid these deceptive scams.
Love Your Core: Pilates Class ( Wednesday Feb 12)
Location: Reset Room (490 Cook DeVos) Please use the CHS and DCIH doors. They will open at 6pm
Time: 6:30pm-7:15pm
Cost: Free
Sign up at this link
Take some time this season to love your core and love your body! Join us for POP Pilates downtown with Kylie. It'll be a full body workout focusing on our core, glutes, legs, and arms. A great way to focus on strengthening and stretching. This is a low impact workout that is done on a mat (limited supply available, reserve your spot to claim). If you want to Love your Core this Valentine's season, this is the class for you!
Thursday
Breaking up with Purity Culture (Thursday Feb 13th)
Where: Kirkhof 2263
When: 12:00pm-1:30pm.
Registration is required
INT 100/201 APPROVED
This multi-author event offers a trauma-informed space of deep listening as together we explore ways of processing religious/spiritual trauma, abuse, and pain through writing. Through personal memoirs, fiction, and academic research, each of these (im)Pure Michigan authors has found their works to be avenues of processing and naming wrongs. Join us as together we lean into journeys of breaking free from pain and finding healing together. Each session will consist of the authors sharing sections of their respective books followed by moderated Q&A and an opportunity to take home their works. GVSU students will receive a discounted rate for book purchases.
Session 1: Breaking Up with Purity Culture will take place in the afternoon on the Allendale Campus and Session 2: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art will take place in downtown Grand Rapids on the GVSU Health Campus. Register here for one or both sessions.
** Trigger Warning: the content of both sessions may be emotionally challenging, disturbing, or triggering. While we will have measures in place at the event to create a trauma-informed space, we want to be sure participants are aware of the discussion they are entering into in advance. **
The event will feature:
- Cait West - Michigan State graduate in creative writing and publishing, and author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy (2024).
- Dr. Sara Moslener - writer, researcher, and lecturer in Central Michigan University's Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion, and author of Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (2015) and the forthcoming After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America.
- Dawn Burns - assistant professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, and author of fiction and creative nonfiction, including Evangelina Everyday (2022).
About Bloody Time: Menstruation Talk (Thursday Feb 13th)
Where: Kirkhof 1142
When: 4:00pm-5:00pm
*Registration not required.
Are you ready to learn about what is happening during the menstrual cycle? Understanding your body (or the people close to you!) can help you navigate through the fluctuations that happen over the course of a month. We’ll be going over the phases of the menstrual cycle, as well as different types of birth control options.
Sex Ed Trivia (Thursday Feb 13th)
Where: Kirkhof 2263
When: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Registration not required
Test Your Sex Ed Knowledge! How much do you know about sexual health and sexuality? Join us for a fun-filled trivia game to learn something new or flex your knowledge.
Trivia entertainment group DnT will lead the event. Students in attendance will form teams of varying sizes in a race to answer questions asked by the hosts.
It will be an evening of fun competition and teamwork with prizes, giveaways, and light refreshments.
Processing Religious Trauma Through Art (Thursday Feb 13th)
Where: DCIH 104 (DeVos Center Interprofessional Health)
When: 700pm-9:00pm
Registration is required
INT 100/201 APPROVED
This multi-author event offers a trauma-informed space of deep listening as together we explore ways of processing religious/spiritual trauma, abuse, and pain through writing. Through personal memoirs, fiction, and academic research, each of these (im)Pure Michigan authors has found their works to be avenues of processing and naming wrongs. Join us as together we lean into journeys of breaking free from pain and finding healing together. Each session will consist of the authors sharing sections of their respective books followed by moderated Q&A and an opportunity to take home their works. GVSU students will receive a discounted rate for book purchases.
Session 1: Breaking Up with Purity Culture will take place in the afternoon on the Allendale Campus and Session 2: Processing Religious Trauma Through Art will take place in downtown Grand Rapids on the GVSU Health Campus. Register here for one or both sessions.
** Trigger Warning: the content of both sessions may be emotionally challenging, disturbing, or triggering. While we will have measures in place at the event to create a trauma-informed space, we want to be sure participants are aware of the discussion they are entering into in advance. **
The event will feature:
- Cait West - Michigan State graduate in creative writing and publishing, and author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy (2024).
- Dr. Sara Moslener - writer, researcher, and lecturer in Central Michigan University's Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion, and author of Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence (2015) and the forthcoming After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America.
- Dawn Burns - assistant professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, and author of fiction and creative nonfiction, including Evangelina Everyday (2022).
Friday
Flowers and Affirmations (Friday Feb 14th)
Where: Kirkhof Lobby and DeVos Lobby
When: 11:00am-1:00pm
We are excited to bring you a beautiful blend of nature and positivity with our Flower & Affirmation Giveaway!
How It Works:
- Receive an inspiring affirmation card to uplift your spirit and keep you motivated and a beautiful flower.
Whether you're treating yourself or gifting a loved one, this giveaway is all about embracing the beauty of life and spreading positive energy.
Partners
Thank you to our planning committee members!!
Many thanks to Alyssa Beil, MSW Candidate 2025 at GVSU, for spearheading the planning during her practicum with the Center for Health and Well-being