Thank You

This flyer arrived in my inbox today and I wanted my blog to be the first place I share it. After all, my nomination for an Ontario College's Premier's Award is thanks to Sex Ed Central's ongoing growth and success.

It is an honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award and I am grateful to many special family members and friends for their never-ending love, encouragement and support. Of course, thank you to my readers, followers and supporters for being part of this awesome journey. And thank you to Georgian College for this wonderful recognition!

Wish me luck at the Gala in November!

Candice :)

P.S. Thank you to Analyzed Marketing Solutions for taking care of all of my web needs!

 

Mmmm concrete

This has nothing whatsoever to do with sex or sex ed or sexuality or ... well, you get the picture.

While going through my YouTube account I was reminded of this video of myself at the Eiffel Tower, during my trip to Europe in 2008. It's a fun video and it makes me laugh every time I watch it, so I thought I'd share!

Enjoy!


- Candice :)

Back to the OYC

It has been far too long since I've sat down to enjoy the pleasure of writing. I've missed this!

So, to catch you up on my world ...

Mark and I moved into our new home on Canada Day and have been busy unpacking and settling in. On Friday the house was hit by lightening, which has definitely been a challenging experience. We are now in the process of replacing the luxuries destroyed by the hit ... not to mention anxiously awaiting the repair of our a/c as we hit record temperatures today.

However, this post isn't about our new home (more on that soon!) ... it's about the following announcement:

I am pleased to say that I will be facilitating a workshop tomorrow night at the Orillia Youth Centre. If you haven't been following me for long, you may not know that the OYC is where I "started out" with workshops. I am excited to head back there for some thorough and honest discussion with the youth. We'll be talking about STIs and contraception ... as well as whatever topics come up! If you're in the area, you should stop by and check it out tomorrow (July 18) at 5pm!

I'll let you know how the workshop goes!

Candice :)

Sex Ed Central in the Georgian View

The 2011/2012 issue of Georgian View has been released, and I'm a featured alumnus! If you're interested in checking it out, you can view the PDF version here: Georgian View 2011/2012

Georgian View is Georgian College's annual Alumni magazine. The magazine features alumni from various Georgian campuses who stand out from the crowd in one way or another. Check out what my fellow alumni are doing, and feel free to spread the good news! I'm on page 12 - "Let's Talk About Sex"!!

Thanks for your support!
Candice :)

Moving forward in a seriously SEXY way!

I am really, really happy with the new website. The new layout and new functionality has made it easier than ever for me to add content and expand the information and resources available throughout the site. As well, I am pleased to announce that my new mobile site is under development; I'll let you know when it's ready! All of my website work, including the mobile site, is thanks to Analyzed Marketing Solutions. Check them out to learn about all of the services they offer, including web development, mobile websites, QR codes, Google Places and Facebook Fan Pages!

You may have already noticed that I've added lots of new content to the site over the past few weeks. Education Central has really grown, and now features articles on various sex-related topics (e.g. relationships, sexual health, contraceptives and LGBTQ). I've also added links to some great videos, and the selection is expanding! If you're interested in some great reading on the topic of sexuality, check out my suggested reading page (also expanding!) -- and feel free to make suggestions of your own!

I have several great posts and articles in development so don't forget to subscribe to the mailing list by entering your email (to the right of this post on Sex Ed Central). We'll never send you spam or give away any of your info, and you'll receive an email every time I make a new blog post!

I'm looking forward to meeting your sex education needs!

Candice :)

 

Professional "pimping" ...

One thing I have learned from working independently in the sexuality field is that networking is absolutely essential. I do it all the time. In fact, I'd say I am shameless when it comes to "pimping myself out" to other professionals and potential contacts.

Prime example: my partner recently sold his iPod off of Kijiji; the purchaser was friendly and told us that he is a high school teacher. I asked what the sex ed programming is like where he works and within seconds had given him both of my business cards and told him a bit about what I do.

Like I said -- shameless.

I've found LinkedIn to be another great source of like-minded contacts. There aren't too many of us (relative to the overall population) -- but we sexuality educators find ways of connecting and sharing info and ideas and I've recently joined a LinkedIn group to do just that.

The BEST networking method I've found so far? Volunteering. Without a doubt. I have met more professionals and made more connections through volunteering than any other way. I think it's because when I'm volunteering for something, I'm engaged and I'm showing just how passionate I am about the cause and about what I do. Now that I've settled into life in Cambridge, I've signed up to volunteer at ACCKWA - The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area.  You should check them out!

Anyway, I'd better get back to my shameless self-promotion ... :)

- Candice

New Workshop Offerings

My new Bartimaeus business cards arrived today!  If you haven't already heard, Bartimaeus and I are partnering to offer a variety of sexual health education workshops.  At this point the focus is on serving the sexuality education needs of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, as well as their caregivers, foster parents and support staff.  You can find more information about these new workshops on the Bartimaeus website.

Let me be clear that I will be continuing to offer a wide variety of workshops, available for both staff training and front line clientele.  If you're interested in more information, please contact me.

I am very excited about this next step in my sexuality education / sex ed work and I will keep you posted on how things progress!

[caption id="attachment_1483" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Candice's Bartimaeus Card"][/caption]

Candice :)

The Talking Head

Today I spent some time updating my resume and my "About Me" page.  I try to keep these both current ... the resume for obvious reasons, and the "About Me" page because I hope to be more than a talking head.

This occurred to me because, as I was reading a blog post by someone I follow regularly, I realized that I really don't know anything about most of the people whose blogs I read.  Given that I am an educator, that I talk to people about a pretty personal subject, and that I like to be active within the community, I want people to know a little something about me before they implicitly trust (or dismiss!) whatever I have to say.

So, this post is my attempt to give you a little more insight into what I am all about ... if you're interested, please take a moment to learn about me, by reading this page: "Sexual Health Educator: Candice Reich".  And if you would like to reciprocate and introduce yourself, please do so!  Leave a comment or send me a message ... I promise I won't bite ... at least not this time!  ;)

Candice :)

[caption id="attachment_1458" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Candice and Mark - Canada Day 2011"][/caption]

Sex Ed Central -- 5000+ visitors!

It's hard to believe that it's been over a year since I decided to take the plunge and follow my dream to become a sexuality educator.  A lot has happened in this past year ...



[caption id="attachment_119" align="alignright" width="115" caption="Workshop Poster"][/caption]

Spring 2010: My unique CYW placement, wherein I partnered with the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County and the Orillia Youth Centre to develop, deliver and evaluate a 10-week sex ed workshop for at-risk youth.  It was a great experience and definitely contributed to shaping my future goals!

Summer 2010: I continued to build this site, adding content and receiving tremendous support and encouragement.

Fall 2010: Entered the final year of the CYW program, trying to figure out what to do "next".  I joined the Board of Governors of the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County around this time.  I had some key networking experiences during this time as well - particularly at the OACYC (Ontario Association of Child and Youth Counsellors) conference in Orillia.  Additionally, I facilitated an incredible and unique workshop -- Radical Relationships and Ethical Promiscuity -- for OPIRG at the University of Guelph.

[caption id="attachment_1426" align="alignleft" width="88" caption="Governor General's Academic Medial"]

Talking about SEX is so much fun!

Last night I had an opportunity to get back into what I love most, and facilitate a workshop!  Yeah!  Thanks to my cousin, Steph, for telling her fellow staff about her "Sexpert" cousin, and getting me an "in"!  It also helps that, as a Child and Youth Worker (CYW), I love working and interacting with teens.  Go CYW!  :)

Last night's session, with a dozen or so early/mid teen girls, was fun, exciting, entertaining and -- as always -- a great learning experience for me.  The girls were excited to talk, ask questions and get a first-hand look at many of the contraceptive options available to them.  I was equally (perhaps more!) excited to share my knowledge and engage them in discussion.  Woody made his usual appearance for an interactive condom demonstration, inviting laughter and jokes, as well as a few size-comparisons (sorry Woody, it seems you don't always measure up!).  End the evening with delicious cake (if you know me, you know I definitely enjoy cake!) and we've got a pretty awesome-tastic evening!

If you or someone you know may be interested in booking a workshop, pass this along or contact me!

Enjoy the sunshine!

Candice :)

Site updates!

If you haven't checked out the rest of the site lately, now's a great time to do so!  I have been working on a number of updates and revisions, including those listed below.

As well, all pages and blog posts now feature a "LIKE" button for Facebook -- please click it whenever you like what you've read!

Please share with others, and enjoy!

- Updated: Learn about Sex Ed Central

- Updated: Learn about our approach to sexuality education!

- Updated: Learn more about Candice!

- Updated: Learn more about our services!

- Updated: Learn more about topics we cover!

- Updated: Education Central - Public Health Guidelines

It's time for more sex!

Well folks, the time has come ... I am officially FINISHED college and now await graduation to officially become a Child and Youth Worker (CYW).  Thank you, Georgian College, for providing me with skills, knowledge, excellent contacts and an opportunity to pursue my passion.

Now that school is over, it's time for the good stuff!  I have relocated to Cambridge, Ontario and am launching myself into building Sex Ed Central.  What does this mean to you, dear readers?  It means more education, more workshops, more blog posts, more news updates ... in short, MORE SEX!

Doesn't that sound like fun?!?

I am open to and seeking new opportunities and networking contacts.  You can help me continue to build by simply sharing this website with anyone you know who may be interested.  If you have an idea, contact me.  I want to hear from you!

Stay tuned, folks ... it's all coming together!
Candice :)

p.s. Updated business cards are on the way!  Here's a preview ;)

Babies Having Babies ...

Based on the title, you can probably guess (if you haven't read previous posts or don't remember) - tomorrow's workshop is about Teen Pregnancy.  It's also the FINAL session of my workshop - an adventure which has flown by and developed into far more than I could have imagined!

As is the case with all of my workshop sessions, the information I present tomorrow will be both practical and relevant to my audience.  I don't see any point in standing in front of them and spouting random, irrelevant knowledge that won't help them in their lives.  Instead, I am going to focus on helping them figure out how to apply what I talk about to their own lives.  Maybe one of them will walk away thinking "Wow, I am not ready to be a parent yet."  Fingers crossed!

As I've already stated, this workshop has grown into far more than I could have imagined.  I'm incredibly thrilled with how well everything has gone, and very proud of the youth who have been part of the sessions.

What I have now is a very comprehensive and widely applicable workshop which can be edited and tailored to a variety of audiences.  Running my workshop at the OYC has given me a chance to step back and evaluate every aspect of it; yes, I will definitely make a few changes before I run it again.  However, I have worked hard to build a strong foundation, and it will continue to get better!

Even though my workshop is ending, I will be continuing to post regularly.  There is SO MUCH going on in the world of sexual health education!  Also, don't forget to check out the other pages of this site!

• Contact me (Candice)


• All about my workshop!


• Useful resources and links


• About me!


• Support my efforts to educate!

Thanks for tuning in!

Candice :)