A collaborative effort for sex education in rural school settings

Many students report that sex and sexuality education is, at best, inappropriate and, at worst, nonexistent. Alarming statistics for teen pregnancy and a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases support the need for education and intervention targeted at a young audience. The traditional approach, to incorporate sex education into health education classes taught by schoolteachers, can be difficult to accomplish in rural school settings where adequate financial resources and community involvement are lacking. Through a partnership funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, a collaborative approach was used in two rural Southeastern communities to deliver a program of sex education to students in fourth through sixth grades. The program united the efforts of community leaders, the school administration, parents, and students and faculty of a university school of nursing.