Thank you so much Emily for making space for the question around doing sex ed in India. It's been one I've been grappling with even as I have been practicing in this space for the last 3 years. I'm going to share my personal journey + courses / orgs that have been a helpful place to start!
I was only exposed to sex ed training of trainers during my time doing my undergrad in the US and volunteering with a group that was supervised by Planned Parenthood - this really formed the basis of my core sex ed skills and knowledge, and it covered a lot of material they would typically give under a certification. I have worked with many schools, colleges and student groups in India to do one-off talks and workshops, but the appetite for long-term gigs (especially paid or well-paid ones) is pretty low - so enter the space at your own risk! I have found the most success as a content creator on Instagram (@TalkYouNeverGot).
Academic courses:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences offers a 2-year sex educator certification, but the unofficial opinion I've heard is that the style/content is triggering and not inclusive for folks who may have minority sexual identities or lived experiences of trauma - would recommend doing your research before taking this on! There is currently no other official university course/certification, which means NGOs (some of whom have been doing this work for 10-20 years) are far more credible in India.
NGOs:
- TARSHI offers simple, inclusive, nuanced, self-paced (and affordable, compared to US based stuff) courses. These are a GREAT place to start given most of us grew up without sex ed. However, based on my experience taking it in 2020, they cover very little about facilitation techniques and do not have much (or any?) face-to-face interaction which feels so essential to figuring out values etc
- Artika Singh and I ran a course specifically aimed at content creators (supported by RNW Media and UNESCO) earlier this year to train folks who want to make sex ed content. Do get in touch in case you are interested in whenever we run the next cohort
- YP Foundation does a lot of great grassroots fieldwork and offers many free resources on their website (including a free curriculum in English/Hindi) - these are FANTASTIC
- Enfold India offers training to do field-based work with them
- Pratisandhi just started a sex educator training last year
- Swasti's WeAreYuWaah! recently ran an online course for grassroots SRH leaders
- Scarleteen.com (while they're not Indian, I did volunteer with them which helped with my learning! and they take volunteers globally)
Don't want to go the nonprofit route? There are many startups in the health space who are running courses / have roles that can let you learn on-the-go to keep on your radar:
- Allo health
- ProactiveForHer
- ThatSassyThing.com (check out the FREE masterclasses they've recorded and put up, great place to get some content basics -- I have recorded one too :) )
Thank you for mentioning Sonalee (aka the Fat Sex Therapist)'s content. Their content on IG has been transformational for me to see and read. As per my understanding, their work more oriented towards being South Asian in the US than the lived experience of being in India (but perhaps I'm wrong!)
Of course this list is non-exhaustive, and I hope others from the Indian sex educator community are able to add on here! :)
Thank you for sharing all these suggestions, Emily. I'd also love to encourage people to consider becoming middle or high school health teachers. Sex ed won't be the ONLY thing you teach about, but the other topics (healthy eating, drug use, mental health, etc.) are also pretty interesting. It's also often a unionized job with a pension, which can help a lot if you like stability in your life. And you can make a huge impact in the lives of young people. I have a bunch of links and resources on my mrhealthteacher.com site if anyone wants to know more about what modern health class looks like or what is covered.
Seriously. I can do all kinds of "fun work" on the side because I know I have the basic financials locked down. And I like the letter they send every year that tells me exactly when I can retire, and the union protection if parents complain about anything we cover in classes.
Sex educator from India checking in!
Thank you so much Emily for making space for the question around doing sex ed in India. It's been one I've been grappling with even as I have been practicing in this space for the last 3 years. I'm going to share my personal journey + courses / orgs that have been a helpful place to start!
I was only exposed to sex ed training of trainers during my time doing my undergrad in the US and volunteering with a group that was supervised by Planned Parenthood - this really formed the basis of my core sex ed skills and knowledge, and it covered a lot of material they would typically give under a certification. I have worked with many schools, colleges and student groups in India to do one-off talks and workshops, but the appetite for long-term gigs (especially paid or well-paid ones) is pretty low - so enter the space at your own risk! I have found the most success as a content creator on Instagram (@TalkYouNeverGot).
Academic courses:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences offers a 2-year sex educator certification, but the unofficial opinion I've heard is that the style/content is triggering and not inclusive for folks who may have minority sexual identities or lived experiences of trauma - would recommend doing your research before taking this on! There is currently no other official university course/certification, which means NGOs (some of whom have been doing this work for 10-20 years) are far more credible in India.
NGOs:
- TARSHI offers simple, inclusive, nuanced, self-paced (and affordable, compared to US based stuff) courses. These are a GREAT place to start given most of us grew up without sex ed. However, based on my experience taking it in 2020, they cover very little about facilitation techniques and do not have much (or any?) face-to-face interaction which feels so essential to figuring out values etc
- Artika Singh and I ran a course specifically aimed at content creators (supported by RNW Media and UNESCO) earlier this year to train folks who want to make sex ed content. Do get in touch in case you are interested in whenever we run the next cohort
- YP Foundation does a lot of great grassroots fieldwork and offers many free resources on their website (including a free curriculum in English/Hindi) - these are FANTASTIC
- Enfold India offers training to do field-based work with them
- Pratisandhi just started a sex educator training last year
- Swasti's WeAreYuWaah! recently ran an online course for grassroots SRH leaders
- Scarleteen.com (while they're not Indian, I did volunteer with them which helped with my learning! and they take volunteers globally)
Don't want to go the nonprofit route? There are many startups in the health space who are running courses / have roles that can let you learn on-the-go to keep on your radar:
- Allo health
- ProactiveForHer
- ThatSassyThing.com (check out the FREE masterclasses they've recorded and put up, great place to get some content basics -- I have recorded one too :) )
Thank you for mentioning Sonalee (aka the Fat Sex Therapist)'s content. Their content on IG has been transformational for me to see and read. As per my understanding, their work more oriented towards being South Asian in the US than the lived experience of being in India (but perhaps I'm wrong!)
Of course this list is non-exhaustive, and I hope others from the Indian sex educator community are able to add on here! :)
Thank you for sharing all these suggestions, Emily. I'd also love to encourage people to consider becoming middle or high school health teachers. Sex ed won't be the ONLY thing you teach about, but the other topics (healthy eating, drug use, mental health, etc.) are also pretty interesting. It's also often a unionized job with a pension, which can help a lot if you like stability in your life. And you can make a huge impact in the lives of young people. I have a bunch of links and resources on my mrhealthteacher.com site if anyone wants to know more about what modern health class looks like or what is covered.
A pension is a very good reason to take a job, and sorely lacking in today's workplace!
Seriously. I can do all kinds of "fun work" on the side because I know I have the basic financials locked down. And I like the letter they send every year that tells me exactly when I can retire, and the union protection if parents complain about anything we cover in classes.