Sex education in Washoe County School District has been a hot topic for a few years, and Tuesday the Board of Trustees added a video to S.H.A.R.E. (Sexual Health and Responsibility Education) classes in high schools. The video uses offering someone a cup of tea as an analogy for asking for consent.
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGoWLWS4-kU
There is an explicit version online, but the school district is using the clean version with no swearing.
The video outlines examples of people asking others if they want tea and the appropriate response when the other person does not want tea. This includes changing their mind about wanting tea and being able to drink tea.
The district says explaining consent through something like this is just another way they are trying to connect with students and get important messages across to as many students as possible.
"A bit on the humorous side," Debra Biersdorff, Chief Academic Officer for WCSD, says. "But definitely something we think high schoolers will respond to and understand."
The proposal idea came from a couple teachers on the S.H.A.R.E. committee, which consists of teachers, counselors and parents. After watching the video, the committee unanimously recommended the Board of Trustees adopt the video as part of the curriculum.
"They viewed the video, liked the video," Biersdorff says. "[They] thought the message was right for what we want our students to understand."
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the video for high school curriculum. The board must approve any changes to district curriculum.
Biersdorff says the change isn't in response to anything specific, the district is just trying to use new resources.
"[We're] working to get a little more modern in the materials we bring forward to our students, our curriculum," Biersdorff says.
The district says the video will be implemented starting next school year.
