We have taken our 2020 Symposium programming online! Each month through December, we'll be presenting content about a specific theme related to sexual health. CEs will be provided. Download the event flyer here, or visit www.txsymposium.org to explore topics and to register.

• Wednesday, August 12, 10-11 am: Trauma-Informed Approaches for Young Parents (Speakers from Tulsa Public Schools)
• Wednesday, August 19, 10-11 am: Best Practices for Building Skills of Parents and Caregivers of Teens (Speaker from UT Teen Health)
  

**Scholarships are available for youth-serving professionals to participate in this webinar series. Though the scholarships are open to anyone, we will first offer scholarship support to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to actively support equity within our work, and in the broader field of adolescent reproductive health. Learn more here; or apply here. 

Each year, we honor individuals and a community partner at our annual Symposium. This year, we were unable to honor them in person due to the event cancellation but instead will recognize them at our annual fundraiser, Cheers!, scheduled for Oct. 29.

Honorees included: Veronica Whitehead, Education Project Director, NTARUPT (Rising Star Award); Anthony Betori, Program Director, Healthy Futures of Texas (Rising Star Award); Michele Rusnak, Health & Physical Education Administrative Supervisor, Austin ISD (Changemaker Award); and UT Teen Health (Community Partner Award).

Congratulations to all on these well-deserved honors!!

Six Texas health centers recently completed an 18-month evidence-based process to improve care for adolescents. These clinics comprise the third cohort of the Texas Youth-Friendly Initiative (TYFI), a foundation-funded project led by the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. TYFI builds the capacity of health centers to improve care for youth ages 10-24. All six clinics were certified as an Adolescent Centered Environment.

Cohort 3 graduates and corresponding certification levels include:

• Legacy Community Health Services, Inc. (Montrose Clinic, Houston) [Gold]
• Planned Parenthood Greater TX (Downtown Austin Health Center) [Silver]
• Lone Star Circle of Care (Dell Children’s Clinic, Round Rock) [Gold]
• Avenue 360 Health and Wellness (Memorial Clinic, Houston) [Bronze]
• Bell County Public Health District (Temple Clinic) [Bronze]
• Bee Busy Wellness Center (Main Clinic, Houston) [Bronze]

Additionally, our two Model Clinics, Baylor Teen Clinic (Cavalcade Clinic, Houston), and People’s Community Clinic (Main Clinic, Austin) have been awarded Gold level Certification.

Healthy Futures of Texas, The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (NTARUPT) have teamed up to form Texas Is Ready, a movement advocating for improved sex education curriculum standards for Texas youth. In November 2020, the State Board of Education will update the basics of sexual health education in Texas, and leading up to that decision, representatives from each of the organizations making up Texas Is Ready will release regular blogs explaining the broad range of issues related to sexual health education in Texas.

Does Texas require abstinence-only sex ed? Short answer: No. But the law does have a lot to say about sex ed, parent engagement, SHACs and more. Check out our Director of Policy and Data, Jen Biundo's, blog on the topic to learn more about the often misunderstood 28.004.

Texas Health and Human Services is hiring a program specialist to support the Healthy Texas Women program. In addition to serving as a subject matter expert on the Healthy Texas Women program, this position will be integral in agency efforts to expand access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and improve postpartum and interconception health in the Medicaid and Healthy Texas Women programs. View the job posting and apply here!