The first official lesson of Sexuality Connect took place recently. This Erasmus+ project, funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the skills of youth workers in the field of sexual education and “sexual digital literacy”. The initiative, which involves partners from Italy, Spain and Luxembourg, seeks to provide updated and reliable tools to support the physical, psychological and relation well-being of young people.
PROJECT CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES
During the online training, each participating organization had the opportunity to introduce itself, highlighting its mission and activities.
Based on the data shared in the first presentation, Sexuality Connect focuses on the need to competently
address a context in which over 70% of young people aged 15 to 24 are constantly online and 28% of adolescents search the internet for information on anatomy, puberty, the menstrual cycle and other sexuality-related topics.
The lack of reliable sources, combined with increased exposure to harmful content and misinformation, contributes to issues such as:
- rising cases of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
- unintended teenage pregnancies
- incidents of sexual violence or abuse
- distorted body and relationship models portrayed by the media
- persistent cultural taboos and lack of structured education
In line with principles and European standards for sexuality education, the project aims to support the psychosexual and emotional development of young people through a healthy, inclusive and evidence-based approach.
TRAINING CALENDAR
Several online training sessions are planned in the coming weeks and they have been shared with the entire working group.
In addition to digital sessions, the project will also include:
- in-person trainings, to strengthen direct collaboration among partners
- international mobility, designed to exchange good practices and test innovative approaches to sexual education
- thematic workshop for youth workers, enabling them to acquire practical tools and participatory methods.
The first lesson represented a fundamental first step in building a solid and shared working network. The enthusiasm of the participants and the relevance of the topics discussed confirm the importance of initiatives like Sexuality Connect, which aim to create informed, safe and accessible spaces for sexuality education.