Louisiana

The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES) joined the WISE Initiative in 2014. Building from its federal Office of Adolescent Health-funded effort, IWES seeks to leverage its direct service efforts in schools to build their capacity to deliver and sustain sexuality education. As part of its Believe in Youth School Network (BYSN), IWES provides resources, training, and peer networking to support charters and traditional schools in selecting, implementing, and sustaining sex education programs.  

The Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) joined WISE in 2014. Leveraging their School Health Connection initiative, LPHI began assessing charter and traditional school district readiness for policy adoption and implementation of CSE. They developed a WISE-like "roadmap" for successful implementation of comprehensive sexual health education including a model policy. Today, their Family Health Portfolio continues to work with ready charter and traditional schools to advance adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of CSE.