First Monday Memo

March 2, 2026

Greetings!

March always feels like a turning point. The days stretch a little longer, the energy shifts, and in our world of adolescent health, the conversations start picking up momentum too. Schools are deep into the semester, parents are navigating spring sports and social calendars, and professionals are balancing prevention, policy, and the very real human needs showing up in front of them every day.

This month, we’re focused on steadiness.

For educators and youth-serving professionals, that means continuing to provide medically accurate, age-appropriate information in a climate that can feel noisy and politicized. Young people still have questions about relationships, consent, identity, mental health, and their changing bodies. They deserve answers grounded in science and compassion and you deserve tools that make that work clearer and more sustainable.

For parents and caregivers, March is a good reminder that connection matters more than perfection. Teens don’t need flawless conversations; they need open doors. Whether you’re talking about social media boundaries, healthy relationships, HPV prevention, or just how their week is going, the goal isn’t control — it’s communication.

You’ll also see updates this month on advocacy opportunities, professional development events, our new game and ways to strengthen your team’s resilience. Supporting adolescents requires strong, supported adults. Burnout is real in mission-driven work, and part of our commitment to adolescent health is making sure the adults doing this work are cared for, trained, and equipped.

At EyesOpenIowa, we remain committed to education, collaboration, and lifting up the voices of young people across our state. When adolescents flourish, communities thrive and that work starts with informed, connected adults.

Thank you for being part of this community. Let’s keep going.

Designer Purse Bingo

A Sold-Out Success!

On February 9, we hosted our very first Designer Purse Bingo fundraiser and wow… you showed up.

The event sold out, the room was buzzing, and the energy was everything we hoped it would be. From the first bingo call to the final purse reveal, attendees laughed, cheered, and leaned all the way in. It was more than just a fun night out, it was a room full of people coming together to support health education for adolescents across Iowa.

We are incredibly grateful to every single person who attended, brought friends, purchased extra cards, and helped spread the word. A huge thank you to our volunteers who checked guests in, sold raffle tickets, kept the event flowing, and made sure the night ran smoothly. Events like this don’t happen without dedicated hands behind the scenes and we felt that support all evening long.

Because of you, we raised important funds that directly support our education programs, advocacy efforts, and resources for young people and the adults who support them.

And the best part? We’re just getting started.

Mark your calendars! We’ll be back with another Designer Purse Bingo this fall, and yes…we’re already planning a Valentine’s edition next February. If February was any indication, you won’t want to wait to grab tickets next time.

Thank you for believing in this work and for proving that fundraising can be both meaningful and seriously fun. A special thank you to our sponsors for making Purse Bingo a success! We appreciate your support greatly.

A New Chapter for our Let’s Talk Game

We Have a New Name! 

Thank you to everyone who voted in our recent poll! With your help, we’re excited to officially announce our new name: Growing Sideways: a Conversational Card Game. Bridging Connection with Conversation. Designed by EyesOpenIowa. 

Your input played a direct role in this decision. Using a human-centered design approach, we invited our community into the process — and Growing Sideways received the most votes. We’re so grateful you’re building this with us. 

Help Us Choose the Final Logo

We need your creative help again! 

As we move into final production for our game development, we’re selecting the official logo. Take one minute to tell us which design feels the most on-brand, engaging, or the one that you find the most visually appealing. 

👉 Vote for your favorite logo here

Family Play-Testing Coming Soon 

To further strengthen and refine our relationship-building game, we are almost ready to test it with real families! As we enter our final testing phases, we will soon select 50 families (sets of youth and their trusted adults) to receive a printed half-deck version of the game to play at home — free of charge. 

Selected families will:

• Play the game together 

• Complete short follow-up surveys 

• Receive up to $75 in Visa gift cards as compensation 

• Potentially receive additional surprise perks along the way 

This feedback will directly shape our final production decisions and help ensure the game is engaging, meaningful, and ready for launch. 

Interested in participating? 

👉 Join the interest list here 

We’ll be sharing more details soon, so keep an eye on your inbox and our social media for updates. 

We’re in the final stretch of development, and we truly couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for growing sideways with us. 

— EyesOpenIowa Team 

Eyes On: Meet Our Intern Lazarus Winklepleck

We’re excited to spotlight Lazarus Winklepleck, who has been lending his creativity and energy to EyesOpenIowa! Lazarus is a Political Science and Communications major and proof that you don’t have to be an art major to fully embrace your creative spirit (or your commitment to comprehensive sex education).

In addition to serving as a member of our Youth Advisory Cohort (YAC), Lazarus has been contributing original social media graphics, helping strengthen our digital presence, and interviewing college students about their experiences with sex education growing up. His curiosity, insight, and thoughtful approach add real depth to our work.

A gifted graphic design artist, Lazarus is also developing some special pieces you’ll see in the coming months — including health education–themed comics designed to make learning approachable, relatable, and engaging.

We’re grateful for his talent, perspective, and willingness to use creativity as a tool for education and advocacy. Stay tuned — you’ll be seeing more of his work soon!

Support for the Fetal Development Video Requirement (SF175)

As schools across Iowa work to comply with the new fetal development video requirement (SF175), EyesOpenIowa is here to help. We consulted with Iowa OB/GYN doctors and national partners and recommend two scientifically accurate, classroom-appropriate options that meet the law’s requirements: National Geographic’s Pregnancy 101 and Britannica’s How an Embryo Develops into a Fetus.

Additional guidance and resources are available on our website and EOI staff are available to provide technical assistance and answer questions as you plan.

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.

Register for Des Moines event at YWRC here.

Register for Sioux City event at Girls Inc. here.

Adult Workshop Series

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

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.

Register here.

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