(Are you looking for our in-store events listings? Check here for information about all upcoming Tool Shed events!)
Sexuality Education Classes & Workshops
Offered by Laura Anne Stuart, MPH
Sexuality is a normal and healthy part of everyone’s life. Whether or not you are currently sexually active, you deserve to know about your sexual health and to have access to information that helps you make decisions that are right for you, now and in the future. Laura Anne Stuart, MPH, can answer questions and lead workshops on all aspects of sexuality and relationships. Laura has worked as a college sexuality educator for more than 10 years and is currently the coordinator of sexual health education and violence prevention at Northwestern University. She owns the Tool Shed, a feminist sex toy store on Milwaukee's East Side, and writes "SexPress," a sex advice column for the Shepherd Express, Milwaukee's free weekly paper. She is an author, trainer and teacher for the Our Whole Lives sexuality education curriculum series. Laura received her master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan.
If you'd like to schedule a workshop with Laura, or would like more information, please email info@toolshedtoys.com.
Interactive Workshops
Want a workshop for your residence hall, sorority, fraternity, class or student group? Laura can lead sessions ranging from a 15-minute study break to a full-day retreat. She will customize workshops to your group’s interests. A sample of workshops is listed below.
SEXUALITY
- Rubberware Party! View samples of safer sex supplies, contraceptive devices, & sex toys and talk one-on-one with a sexuality educator
- With Whom Would You Do It? Making Decisions About Sex
- The Anatomy of Pleasure: A Road Map to Male & Female Sexual Systems, with guest stars The Wondrous Vulva Puppet & The Detachable Penis!
- The Physiology of Orgasm and Sexual Response
- Dildos, Vibrators and Butt Plugs, Oh My! Sex Toys 101
- What Does It Mean to Be LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay, and/or transgender)?
- Straight, But Not Narrow: Deconstructing Heterosexuality
- All Ova That: What You Need to Know About Women’s Sexual Health
SAFE SEX, STDs & CONTRACEPTION
- 101 Uses for a Piece of Latex: Expanding the Boundaries of Safer Sex
- Sex Trivia: test your knowledge with a fun “pub quiz” format
- Emergency Contraception: Not Just for the Morning After
- Sponges, Rings and Patches: Update on Contraceptive Technology
- Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning
RELATIONSHIPS
- The Dating Diva Answers Your Dating Etiquette Questions
- Hooking Up, Friends with Benefits, and Other Casual Relationships
- Polyamory 101: Negotiating Non-Monogamous Relationships
SEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP SAFETY & VIOLENCE
- But What Can I Do About It? The Role of Bystanders in Sexual Assault & Dating Violence
- Is Your Relationship Healthy? Discuss models of healthy & unhealthy relationships and warning signs of potentially abusive relationships
SELECT WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Who, What, When & Why: Figuring Out How to Get What You Want from Sex
How well do you have to know someone before you have sex with them? How comfortable are you trying something new with a sexual partner? And what exactly counts as "sex," anyway? This interactive workshop will explore how we make decisions about sex and is relevant to everyone, whether you're having sex right now or not. We'll talk about the "who, what, when & why" of sex -- deciding on the "where" and the "how" is up to you!
A Guide to Having Healthy Relationships at College
For college students, academic work is important. Does this mean that everything else in life, including romantic relationships or friendships, must suffer? During this interactive workshop, we will:
- Brainstorm obstacles to developing and/or maintaining relationships while in school
- Discuss principles of healthy, successful relationships
- Review signs of unhealthy and/or abusive relationships
- Learn about resources on campus to help with relationship issues
The Anatomy of Pleasure
Formal education about sex is often limited to avoiding STDs and pregnancy. While these are important topics, they don't address the reason that many of us have sex -- because it's fun! This interactive workshop goes where no high school health class has gone before, teaching you about aspects of female and male sexual anatomy devoted solely to enhancing your own and your partner's sexual pleasure. You do not have to be currently sexually active to get something out of this workshop -- learning about your own body is important no matter where you're at. Special appearances will be made by guest stars the Wondrous Vulva Puppet and the Detachable Penis.
The Physiology of Orgasm & Sexual Response
How would you describe what an orgasm feels like? Do you know what's going on with your body when you have one? Are you unsure about whether you've ever had an orgasm? During this workshop, we'll discuss the human sexual response cycle in both men and women, with the goal of increasing our knowledge of and comfort with our own bodies and their capacity for pleasure. The Wondrous Vulva Puppet and the Detachable Penis will make guest appearances, along with diagrams and pictures of sexual anatomy.
Dating 101: Meeting New People and Letting Them Know You're Interested
Many people who aren't in a romantic relationship feel pressure to start one. But how do you find people that you're compatible with? How can you tell if someone "likes" you? How do you deal with fear of rejection, and how do you let someone know that you're not interested in them? Come to this interactive discussion to learn more about all aspects of initiating a potential new relationship.
Sex Trivia: Take the Challenge!
Think you know everything about sex? Or at least more than those people on [insert rival floor here]? Come prove it by participating in Sex Trivia. Test your knowledge of safer sex, sexual health, and contraception while picking up free condoms & lube. The floor that wins the game will receive [insert prize here], so get a team together or come cheer on your hallmates!
All Ova That: Updates on Contraception and Sexual Health
Did you know that the most effective method of hormonal birth control also has the lowest levels of hormones? Wondering if it's safe to use extended-cycle contraceptives that eliminate some or all of your periods? Can you name the common contraceptive that can actually increase your chances of getting an STI? Come to this fun, interactive presentation to get the answers to these questions and more. FREE condoms provided!
If you'd like to schedule a workshop with Laura, or would like more information, please email info@toolshedtoys.com.