Education from an Equal: Recent Episodes
Natalie Goldberg
With the right education, a person is unstoppable and able to accomplish anything they attempt. It can give them a foundation to scrutinize, challenge, and develop belief systems, and engage with others in constructive ways. This is why I created Education from an Equal, as it is meant to be a mechanism to empower high school students across the nation to take charge of their own education. In the first season, I hope to craft a clear critique of the way that the national government, as well as individual school districts, choose to treat health class specifically. I will also be providing education and resources that emulate the kind of curriculum I, and all other students, deserve to see in classrooms everywhere. I hope that Education from an Equal becomes a jumping off place of sorts, one that inspires students to further their knowledge and education outside the scope of what I discuss and critique, so they can form their own ideas surrounding the kind of information they believe they should be taught.
In this episode, Presley, Snigdha, Annabel, and Amaya discuss their experiences as queer BIPOC and the intersectionality of their identities.
In this episode, Trinity discusses her experience with a second term abortion during the coronavirus pandemic. Please note that this episode is extremely graphic in its description of abortion, so please proceed with caution.
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF EATING DISORDER BEHAVIORS AND EXPERIENCES. PLEASE LISTEN WITH CAUTION. In this episode, Kayla shares her experience with orthorexia and bulimia and we discuss glow up culture and body neutrality.
In this episode, my classmate Feiyang Peng and I discuss ethical porn and slut-shaming, and we offer some ethical porn options. Please note that this episode is SUPER explicit, so please listen with caution!
In this episode, Hannah discusses her experience with abortion as an ambitious fourteen-year-old girl denied birth control by her parents, living in rural Oregon. She shares frank insights about what she was able to gain from her abortion and how we should all work to view abortion as a medical procedure, rather than a life-altering, shameful, or traumatizing event.
In this episode, Mete, Roshun, and Ree get quizzed and subsequently taught about the birth process and female puberty, showing just how little the American health education system has taught them. Here is the link to the PowerPoint I am showing them if you want to follow along: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1I4nQ9Ejg3DHS2WcW1Yc3vbrKI9lK4YesO-GvaUBtML0/edit?usp=sharing ! Thank you all so much for listening, and as always, feel free to email me with questions: goldberg.natalierose@gmail.com !
We discuss the most important lessons from Season Two and what I learned about myself and about sex-ed.
In this episode, Azul Mora discusses her experiences with health curriculum as a student who was severely bullied and sexually assaulted to the point where she considered perpetuating violence against her classmates as a school schooter. We discuss mental-health inclusive education, the media's portrayal of school shooters, and her experiences as woman of color.
In this episode, Kamerin Villagomez discusses her experiences with health curriculum as a student activist. We discuss LGBTQ+ inclusive education, the strike that she organized surrounding sex education standards, and her opinion on a nationalized curriculum.
In this episode, PJ Steinberg discusses their experiences with health curriculum as an LGBTQ+ student. We discuss inclusive education, their opinion on a nationalized curriculum, and the impact of the queer community on sex-ed.
In this episode, Representative Andrea Salinas discusses her experiences with health curriculum legislation as both a policymaker and a mother. We discuss LGBTQ+ inclusive education, the reaction of the public to sex education standards, and her opinion on nationalized curriculum.
In this episode, Eryn discusses her experiences as a high school student taking health classes in Texas, a state notorious for its abstinence-only curriculum. We discuss consent education, health-related anecdotes, and the gravity and importance of sexual safety.
There are two epidemics overtaking teens across America: substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. In many cases, the two go hand in hand. In this episode, we discuss the flawed approach to combating teen drug use that is prevalent in schools across the nation. Instead of focusing on the fact that teens are using drugs at a higher rate than ever before, we look to the root cause: why are they using drugs? We delve into these reasons, and ways to tackle this issue at its root.
Though many parents believe they would be able to notice if their child was a victim of domestic abuse, research has show that the majority, around 58%, were unable to. Because domestic violence specific to teen dating is ignored in many curriculums, teens do not have the resources to leave, or even comprehend, violent relationships. In this episode, we will be discussing the multiple types of domestic abuse as they relate to teenage relationships, and critiquing our nation’s current approach.
Across the nation, LGBTQ+ students are left out of the most crucial aspects of sexual education, contributing to the social stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ relationships, as well as putting an already at risk community in even more danger. We will be critiquing “no promo homo” laws, which, in 7 states, dehumanize and erase identities, and exploring the intersectionality of this issue, delving into some basic education regarding STDs and LGBTQ+ identities.
With the #metoo movement continuing to gain popularity after its reignition in 2017, consent has been a hot topic in politics and at the office, however, it has not yet made its way to the most important place: the classroom. In many states, the discussion of consent is disregarded, which results in a lack of understanding that is crucial for teens developing their sense of morality. This is perpetuated by the issue of toxic masculinity, which is also often left out of curriculums. We will be critiquing the lack of consent education, and looking at the way a discussion of toxic masculinity could benefit the conversation.
When schools teach abstinence only education, they hope that teens will simply ignore the prospect of sexuality since they have not been exposed to it. However, in this day and age, technology allows exposure to virtually anyone with access to the internet. Rather than using this reality to properly educate students, schools often put them in danger, leading to teen pregnancy, the contraction of STDs, and overall confusion and chaos. In this episode, we discuss the realities of abstinence only education in the states where it is most prevalent, and then I provide education on pregnancy prevention in the proper manner in order to ensure safety of students.
This is the introductory episode for the podcast, formatted as a discussion of my personal experience with a lacking health curriculum and my reasoning for creating the podcast. We discuss the empowering nature of education and the importance of taking your future into your own hands. Visit the ABOUT page on my website to learn even more about the podcast or its creator!