We leave tomorrow! Lots to wrap up before we go.
My usual role at Advocates for Youth is as State Policy Coordinator. I work with coalitions and youth activists across the country to pass legislation for comprehensive sexuality education. I travel from state to state leading trainings with young people who are part of peer education programs, volunteer at local clinics, and participate in advocacy projects. They know first hand the importance of sexuality education classes that are truly comprehensive. This education doesn’t just teach abstinence, but also discusses condoms and contraception, HIV prevention, healthy relationships, and decision making skills.
Most of the youth that I work with will not have the opportunity to attend the International AIDS Conference. I am looking forward to having the chance to share with other participants their stories and their work, as well as share my own.
A couple of hours left to finish some state policy updates before I leave, organize all my materials, and finish workshop preparations, also knowing some of that will happen, as it often does, the night before. (I’m convinced that to have a good workshop the ideas must be fresh and the agenda flexible enough to cover what the participants want; this is also my way of excusing my own procrastination.)
And then the final challenge of the day … home to pack.
