First Monday Memo

January 5, 2026

Greetings!

Happy New Year from EyesOpenIowa!

As we welcome 2026, we’re stepping into the year with gratitude for all you do and a renewed commitment to stand alongside you as you help young people receive the honest, empowering, age-appropriate health education they deserve.

We know this past year was not an easy one. The challenges were real, but so was your dedication. Thank you for showing up for Iowa’s youth with compassion, clarity, and courage. We are honored to support you in this work and look forward to partnering with you in the months ahead.

January also brings the start of the Iowa Legislative Session, and EOI will be watching closely. Our staff, board, and our incredible Youth Advisory Cohort will be tracking key developments, engaging in advocacy, and keeping you informed through updates in our newsletters.

This year, we’re excited to offer even more trainings designed to equip you with the tools, confidence, and ease you need in the classroom. And as always, we’re here for technical assistance, resources, and anything else that helps you feel supported in your role.

Let’s continue to stay connected through our in-person trainings, webinars, and networking events. Together, we can strengthen one another and create the supportive community educators and young people deserve.

And on a fun note, we’re thrilled to share that our Board is hosting a Designer Purse Bingo fundraiser in February! We hope you’ll join us for a night of connection, laughter, and celebration. More details to come!

Here’s to a meaningful, energized, and hopeful year ahead. Please let us know how we can support you; EOI is with you every step of the way. 💛

Teen & Parent Sessions

Spend the day connecting and leave with a $50 VISA gift card for every participant!

Linking Families and Teens (LiFT) Family Retreat Events

Dates: April 11, 2026 (Des Moines) or April 18, 2026 (Sioux City)

Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT

Format: In person (see registration links for location details)

Cost: FREE. Registration required for each teen and adult

Audience: Teens ages 13–19 and their supportive adults (parents, caregivers, grandparents, another trusted adult role) attend together as pairs.

LiFT is a fun, interactive retreat for teens and their trusted adults who want to communicate better about relationships, values, and sexual health without awkwardness or stress. Through games, guided conversations, and hands-on activities, families build stronger connections and gain practical tools for talking about tough topics with confidence and care.

Expect a relaxed, welcoming environment, plenty of laughter, and real-life skills you can actually use. This retreat is affirming for all families, including LGBTQ+ households, and designed to meet teens and adults right where they are. Lunch and snacks are provided, and every teen and every adult who attends receives a $50 VISA gift card just for participating.

Adult Workshop Series

If you loved our menopause sessions… buckle up. You’re going to love these as well!

Is Your Relationship Doomed?

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CT

Format: In-person (EyesOpenIowa Training Hall, West Des Moines) or Virtual

Cost: $30

What you’ve always wanted to know about relationships that actually last… but were maybe too afraid (or too tired) to ask. Join us for the next installment of our adult workshop series featuring our very own couples therapist and sex educator, Emily Gillon! This fun, insightful session will help you understand what really makes relationships thrive, not just survive.

Grown-Up Sex Ed

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CT

Format: In-person (EyesOpenIowa Training Hall, West Des Moines) or Virtual Cost: $30

In this upbeat, no-shame workshop, sex educator and trainer Val Cumming is here to spill the tea on all the sex ed topics we should’ve learned but didn’t. We’ll talk about real stuff like consent, birth control, STI testing, how and when to use condoms, and navigating awkward (but important!) convos with partners and providers. It’s the perfect mix of “Ohhh, that makes sense now” and “Wait… why did no one ever teach me this?” Expect laughs, lightbulb moments, and a whole lot of useful info to take into your real life. You’ll leave smarter, more confident, and better equipped.

🎓 Start the New Year Strong:

Educator Trainings Open Now Through Summer 2026!

Looking to sharpen your skills as you jump into a new year? We’ve got you covered with high-quality training opportunities designed for educators, advocates, and youth-serving professionals alike. Join us for one (or more!) of the following sessions to start out 2026 with purpose and confidence. We'd love to see you in the classroom!

🔥 Core In-Person Trainings for 2026

✨ Awkward to Awesome & Sex Ed Staples

Our two most popular trainings, Awkward to Awesome and Sex Ed Staples, are designed to be taken together as a two-day, in-person learning experience.

Awkward to Awesome: Core Skills

Build your confidence as an educator. Master awkward moments, answer sensitive questions, clarify values, and establish inclusive boundaries.

Sex Ed Staples: Core Content

Deepen your knowledge on essential sex ed topics like anatomy, contraception, consent, healthy relationships, and more.

📅 Spring Session: March 30–31, 2026

📅 Summer Session: June 29–30, 2026

📍 In-person at EyesOpenIowa in West Des Moines, Iowa

💰 $200 per person, per session

Both are required for Certified Sexual Health Educator (CSHE) certification. These sessions fill quickly; register early to secure your spot!

⚠️ Unmasking Crisis Pregnancy Centers

🗓️ February 18, 2026, 9:00–11:00 AM CT

💻 Virtual | 💰 $75

Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) are operating in communities across the country and presenting themselves as legitimate clinics, yet many of them are unlicensed, medically misleading, and driven by agendas rooted in shame and control. If you work with young people or support individuals making decisions about pregnancy and sexual health, this training is essential. Created and led by EyesOpenIowa’s Training Coordinator Val Cumming, this session was first presented at the 2025 Healthy Teen Network Conference, where it received rave reviews for its clarity and engagement. Built on years of research and frontline experience, it unpacks the ways CPCs exploit purity culture, distort facts, and use manipulation to delay or prevent access to real healthcare.

💬 Ongoing Virtual Learning

🍽️ "Lunch-N-Learn" Series

Led by our Training Coordinator Val Cumming, these bite-sized, 30-minute FREE virtual sessions are offered both at 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM CT and cover emerging topics in the field:

More Than "The Talk": Addressing Relationships in Sex Ed

🗓️ Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 12:00-12:30 PM CT

Help students define respect, navigate conflict, and recognize red flags in dating using SEL-aligned tools and inclusive approaches.

Rights, Respect, Responsibility: Teaching Consent from a Justice Lens

🗓️ Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 12:00-12:30 PM CT

Go beyond “no means no” and explore how power, identity, and equity shape consent education.

🧠"Sex Ed Starts at Home" Series

“Sex Ed Starts at Home” is a free monthly virtual series created for parents and caregivers who want real talk, not lectures. Each 30-minute session tackles a topic you’re already thinking about, from “Where do babies come from?” to “When do I stop being naked in front of my kid?” and gives you practical tools you can use that same day. Led by Emily Gillon, a licensed therapist, master sex ed trainer, and parent herself, these FREE sessions can't be missed!

Can I Still Be Naked Around My Kid? Modeling Consent in Real Life

🗓️ Thursday, January 15, 2026: 12:00-12:30 PM CT

Not sure when it’s time to stop walking around in a towel or changing clothes in front of your child? You’re not alone. This session helps you navigate everyday parenting moments like nudity, tickling, or roughhousing through the lens of consent and body autonomy. Learn how to model respectful boundaries without making it weird.

Where Do Babies Come From? Exactly What to Say (and How Much)

🗓️ Thursday, February 19, 2026: 12:00-12:30 PM CT

Whether your kid asks out of the blue or you’re just ready to start the conversation, this session gives you age-appropriate, shame-free ways to talk about where babies come from. We’ll share language for kids ages 3 to 9, five sample scripts you can try at home, and tips for staying calm and confident.