What's Happening

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | February 9, 2022
Chief People and Culture Officer, ETR

Happy Black History Month (BHM) from ETR! Formally, this annual celebration started as Black History Week and was pioneered by Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). A Black Virginian sharecropper turned international educator, Woodson would not have his dream fully embraced until 25 years after his death. By 1975, every US president starting with Gerald Ford would officially recognize Black History as an opportunity to celebrate a neglected part of American History. In addition, the celebration highlights the essential role of Black Americans in building the United States from its colonial beginning.

By Sarah Han, MPH | November 19, 2021
Youth Centered Health Designer, ETR

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of teens and young adults in countless ways. However, as public health researchers, practitioners, and advocates, we still don’t know much about how the pandemic has affected the romantic and sexual relationships of teens and young adults. Last month, a study examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s relationships was published in BMC Public Health, shining a light on this important, yet understudied, issue.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD and Morey Riordan | October 28, 2021
CEO, ETR and Founding Director, Transgender Strategy Center

As an organization committed to advancing health equity, ETR is dedicated to honoring the contributions, history, and evolving health equity topics of LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. In honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, ETR’s CEO Vignetta Charles chats with Morey Riordan, Founding Director of the Transgender Strategy Center, on the past, present, and future of LGBTQ+ History Month in the US.

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | October 14, 2021
Chief People and Culture Officer, ETR

What is the cause of the great Health Literacy divide and disconnect between academic research and the communities that are often times the focus of such research? As we recognize Health Literacy Month this year, let’s explore health equity through the journey from health consciousness to health promotion. As we seek out ways to improve the accessibility of research, resources, and ultimately our health messaging, we must also focus on centering our communities and challenging old paradigms that perpetuate narratives of shame over strength.

By Amy Peterson, PhD | September 2, 2021
Senior Research Associate, ETR

Our 2021 Kirby Summit explored the relationship between sexually explicit media (SEM), like pornography, and young people's sexual health outcomes (including attitudes and behaviors). Here is what we learned in our research, including listening sessions and literature review.

By Rebecca Braun and Emma Schlamm | July 26, 2021
Lead, YTH Initiative, ETR and Program Coordinator, YTH Initiative, ETR

The YTH Initiative is thrilled to announce the launch of a ZonaSegura chatbot! Meet Eli - the first and only trauma-informed, English and Spanish-language chatbot co-designed by youth to navigate and prevent teen dating violence in Honduras. With funding from the Twilio.org Crisis Response and Prevention Initiative, Eli was built to address a need for real-time, two-way support for violence prevention and crisis response, identified through an impact evaluation of the initial ZonaSegura intervention implemented in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Given the recent rise in gender-based violence both in Honduras and globally, due in part to the COVID-19 lockdowns, a tool like Eli could not be more timely.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD and Yolo Akili Robinson | July 14, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR and Chief Executive Officer/Founder, BEAM

In this conversation, ETR’s CEO Vignetta Charles is joined by Yolo Akili Robinson, Founder & CEO of Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM), to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health services, the need for reimagining and redefining mental health interventions, and the push for reclaiming this month as “Mental Health Liberation Month.”

By Eddie Givens | June 22, 2021
Guest Writer, Community Member and Activist

Eddie Givens shares his reflections on the history of HIV Testing Day and the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the importance of HIV education, health equity, and ensuring accessible testing in every community.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | June 3, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

Milestone birthdays that are associated with middle age can also be associated with a youthful time of awakening. We can say the same about ETR—we’re celebrating our 40th! We are entering our middle age with the wisdom that comes from four decades, while also awakening a new phase for us with the excitement and curiosity and rapid change of adolescence.

By Wendy Kaplan, MPH | May 19, 2021
Former ATOD Program Manager, ETR

One of the projects I work on at ETR is the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC). I have the pleasure of working with organizations throughout the state of California doing their part to end tobacco-related health disparities. One of the ways we do this is through the creation of educational materials that provide information to specific audiences on a wide range of topics.

By John Shields, PhD, MSW | May 14, 2021
Senior Research Scientist, ETR

How well are K-12 schools doing in implementing Title IX regulations? ETR’s K12T9 Initiative conducted an analysis of 100 randomly selected regular public school district websites from the 19,406 districts downloaded from the US Department of Education to research more into the availability of Title IX information on district websites -- and here is what we found.

By Melissa Perri, Sarah Flicker, Adrian Guta, and Marilou Gagnon | May 10, 2021
Social and Behavioural Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto

Internationally, comprehensive sex-ed programs have garnered promising results. Ontario, Canada’s largest province, recently implemented a new, responsive and controversial provincial sex-ed curriculum. An interdisciplinary team of public health, sociology and education scholars collaborated to learn more about the implementation challenges faced by health and physical education teachers. We sought to gain feedback on how recent curricular changes have altered the ease and effectiveness of delivery and get educators’ opinions on recommendations for improving future sex-ed curricula changes. 

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | May 5, 2021
Director of Marketing and Communications, ETR

When it comes to social media and mental health, it’s common to first think about the negative link between the two. However, social media can also provide a great benefit to adolescents and young adults, especially when it comes to connecting with friends and family or staying up to date on current events. Learn more about how educators, health care providers, and youth-serving professionals can support young people in having a healthy relationship with social media.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2021
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

It was a lazy Sunday, and we were watching Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. My 10-year-old, like every other kid his age, is always looking to see themselves represented in the content we consume. He turned to me and asked, “Why aren’t there that many diverse people in this Star Wars movie?”

By Laura Perkins, MLS, and Suzanne Schrag, BA | April 14, 2021
Health Literacy Editor and Product Manager/Editor, ETR

For years, there’s been a debate in the public health community over whether to use the term "STD" or "STI" in patient education materials. Some leading authoritative organizations continue to use STD, but many organizations have switched to using STI, or to using both terms. We explore various perspectives on this topic from different sexual health educators around the country.

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | March 22, 2021
Director of Marketing and Communications, ETR

Educators play a critical role in providing young people with accurate, inclusive information on sexually transmitted infections, or sexually transmitted diseases (STIs/STDs). In addition to educating teens and adolescents on the signs and symptoms of STIs/STDs, here are 5 points to make sure you cover in your health lessons. And read on for resources that can support your sexual health program! 

By ETR Leadership Team | March 17, 2021

As an agency committed to advancing equity, ETR is speaking out against the increase in hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). While these recent attacks have drawn national attention, inflammatory rhetoric and disparaging or violent acts against these communities are, unfortunately, nothing new. This surge is the latest in a long and often overlooked history of racist acts inflicted on AAPI individuals, families, and businesses—ranging from subtle, pervasive microaggressions to overt verbal and physical attacks. 

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | March 17, 2021
Director of Marketing and Communications, ETR

As educators, we know that our students’ social and emotional well-being is intricately tied to their academic success. Now with students starting to transition back to the classroom, it feels more important than ever to ensure schools are supporting the social and emotional health of young people in our communities—and we can do that through our health education choices