Participatory Design National Curriculum for Inclusive Sex Ed

Location: Baltimore, Maryland (Virtual)
Status: Completed
Dates: April 2020 – December 2021

Quick Project Overview

As an Equity Education & Strategic Partnerships Fellow with FreeState Justice, a legal advocacy and policy organization advancing LGBTQ+ rights in Maryland, I supported educational and communications efforts to expand inclusive sex education and awareness of LGBTQ+ youth issues. My work centered on creating accessible, affirming learning tools for schools and community partners nationwide.

• Context & Background

  FreeState Justice operates at the intersection of law, education, and advocacy—working to eliminate systemic barriers faced by LGBTQ+ individuals. During a time of growing national debates on inclusive education, I contributed to efforts ensuring that young people had access to accurate, compassionate, and identity-affirming resources. This role allowed me to bridge research, design, and storytelling in service of social equity and youth wellbeing.

• Collaborators & Partners

  • FreeState Justice staff and education team

  • One Love Foundation

  • Maryland educators and youth-serving organizations

• My Role & Contribution

  • I designed and implemented a 40+ page workshop guide on LGBTQ+ sex education and healthy relationships, distributed for use in high schools across the U.S.

  • I also created an online catalog of workshop materials to improve accessibility for partners and designed three educational presentations on LGBTQ+ youth incarceration, gender identity, and inclusive relationship education.

  • Alongside these educational efforts, I expanded outreach through digital campaigns — growing FreeState’s audience by over 10,000 people on Facebook and more than doubling Instagram followers through creative content, livestream events, and partnerships.

• Outputs

  • 40+ page LGBTQ+ education workshop guide for high schools

  • Online catalog of partner workshop materials

  • 3 educational presentations on key youth advocacy topics

  • Social media campaigns and live events reaching 10,000+ people

• Tools Used

  • Focus group facilitation and participatory methods for youth curriculum development

  • Canva for design

  • Facebook, Instagram, and Hootsuite for digital strategy

  • Google Workspace and Zoom

Impact & Learning

This experience deepened my understanding of how education, advocacy, and design intersect to drive social change. I saw firsthand how accessible, affirming content can shift institutional practices and empower young people to lead healthier, more authentic lives. It also reinforced my belief that communication is one of the most powerful tools for equity and systemic transformation.