During the week of Feb. 12, Grand Valley State University held the college’s annual Sex Ed Week. The student-led project, hosted by the Wellness Information Team (WIT), which is part of GVSU Recreation & Wellness (RecWell), featured 17 different events aimed to “give students knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions for themselves.”

The events took place across all GVSU campuses and served to educate the college community about health, safety and the sexual health resources accessible to them.

The first event was called “Healthy Sexual Talk” and was located at the L. William Seidman Center on the GVSU Pew Campus. Throughout the week, events and meetings gave students opportunities to learn about a wide range of topics. Attendees were also able to interact with health professionals and understand personal health in a deeper context. The final event of the week was titled “Sexual Health- Advocating for Yourself in a Healthcare Setting” and took place on Feb. 16.

Another event was called “Sex Ed Trivia.” Trivia took place on Feb. 15 from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library’s atrium and was hosted by the trivia entertainment group D and T. Students in attendance formed teams of varying sizes, followed by sex ed questions asked by the hosts. One question, “What was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage?” seemed to stump all teams. Many people were able to meet new friends as they worked through the sometimes difficult trivia questions.

The groups got competitive as they attempted to answer questions correctly and as quickly as possible. At a table nearby, an assortment of sex ed-related stickers and posters were available for students to take if they wished, and the RecWell program provided goodie bags for students to bring home. At the end of the trivia night, the winning teams were able to choose from a selection of prizes. The prizes ranged from books about body positivity to a Squishmallow with the GVSU logo.

Learning about sex ed through a game was intended to make the topic more lighthearted for students, and less intimidating.

GVSU student Rowen Armour came to Sex Ed Trivia night to participate in an enjoyable game.

“I chose to come to the Sex Ed Trivia because I think sex ed is super important and the format was super fun,” Armour said. “I had a ton of fun at the event. It was very interactive, there was a lot of teamwork and engagement with peers and overall (was) a positive experience.”

Student Success Librarian Gayle Schaub helped bring the Sex Ed Trivia event to life. Schaub said part of what makes Sex Ed Week successful at GVSU is making educational subjects more approachable through unique events.

“I thought it would be fun to just get students in here thinking about the library as a welcoming safe belonging space that’s not uptight,” Schuab said.

 Katie Jourdan, the assistant director for Student Wellness at GVSU, said the goal of Sex Ed Week is to teach students about sexual and reproductive health in a judgment-free way.

“Sex Ed Week provides a variety of events in spaces that are judgment-free so they (attendees) can learn about topics of interest without shame or stigma,” Jourdan said.