In the fall of my senior year, instead of attending my scheduled calculus math class, I was instructed to go down the hall to another math classroom. My peers and I were caught off guard at the sudden schedule change, but listened to what we had been told nonetheless. I walked down the hallway and entered the classroom, finding familiarity with my other classmates, and greeted them. However, I was also met with someone new at the front of the classroom, whom I would later come to know, and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. It was then that I was finally told what I was sent there for. I was there for a workshop not related to the derivatives of calculus but regarding something arguably more significant, consent. No offense to my math teacher and her amazing math class, though!
I was one of the many students in that math classroom who was able to participate in the Schools Consent Project Workshop. Which they host in schools like mine all around the City of New York. The new person in front of the classroom was the host of this workshop and she introduced herself as Kaitlyn. She started off the workshop by asking us a simple question “What do you need for sex?” The answer seemed obvious to me, consent. But then when it came to describing what consent exactly is, I could only come up with saying the word “yes” as a form of consent. However, it was this workshop that expanded my initial description of what it actually is. Consent is about more than just saying a simple word. It can be complex depending on the circumstance a person may find themselves in. But Kaitlyn explained this to us in a simple way, consent includes the three c’s: choice, capacity, and communication.
Choice refers to a person having agency over whether they want to do something or not. Capacity refers to whether the person is able to make that choice in the first place. Finally, communication refers to how the person delivers the message. In another portion of the workshop, real life scenarios were presented to my peers and I. These scenarios challenged us to apply the newly learned information we knew about consent. Reminding us of things like the fact that consent can be both given and revoked at any time,but whatever the choice, that it needed to be communicated. Kaitlyn taught me and students at my school the fundamental rights we have as youth and the harms of sexually abusive behavior. While also helping me realize that I had truly never had a conversation about consent like this in school before. A conservation that all students should be given the opportunity to have.
Appropriate sex education as a part of health education is not a mandated requirement by the city. Instead, it is only advised to be included in the mandatory health class a student has to take. Where students are required to take at least one semester of health in high school and in middle school. But there is no guarantee that students would be ensured an age-appropriate comprehensive sex education and what that would even look like in a classroom. Many students may navigate life without truly understanding their fundamental rights regarding consent. Attending the Schools Consent Project Workshop helped fill the gap in my high school education regarding the lack of sex education I had. Students should be learning about these things. Especially for teen girls like me who find it crucial to be informed about consent and setting boundaries as we navigate society.
Recognizing the lack of comprehensive sex education given in schools only serves to emphasize why the work of the Schools Consent Project is so important. I am grateful for the chance I received to participate in this workshop held by the Schools Consent Project. Even after the time that has passed since attending this workshop, I still feel and see the value the School Consent Project brings to my own life. I navigate the environments I encounter, like my daily commutes, feeling more confident about setting boundaries and on my knowledge of consent. I was also able to see firsthand the direct impact they bring. Throughout the workshop, my peers were engaged with what Kaitlyn was teaching us. Many were eager to learn what schools weren’t mandated to have implemented into their curriculum: comprehensive sex education. You’d be surprised to find out how many students don’t even know what the age of consent is in New York, and it's seventeen, by the way.
After the workshop ended, my class gave Kaitlyn a round of applause. Some of my peers immediately approached her to ask about ways they could stay connected with the School's Consent Project. I was also really moved to get more involved and got up as well. Not knowing that later on in the winter, Kaitlyn would end up reaching out to us through my school. Presenting us with the chance to speak at the Schools Consent Project Spring Benefit. I along with three of my classmates ended up taking this opportunity. The next two months we workshopped on what and how my peers and I would speak at the event. However, on the day of the event we did more than that. We were able to speak with other lawyers in New York City, hear other amazing speakers, and genuinely enjoy our time at the Schools Consent Projects Spring Benefit. This event ended up being one of the highlights of my senior year in high school!
Youth are empowered by learning how to stand up for themselves in a world that doesn’t teach them how to. As a young person who is soon going to be transitioning into a new part of my life, being able to confidently set boundaries is essential while navigating this change. Young women like me don’t have the privilege of not knowing our rights regarding consent. We are on constant guard of what might be the next thing we would have to confront in this world.
Supporting Schools Consent Project as an organization would mean supporting the work that touches the lives of many students in New York City. Students who need to be informed, now more than ever!