About

Young adults and teens crave information on healthy relationships and demand real consent education. We know this because they keep telling us. 

The problem? Many adults are uncomfortable, or weren’t given the proper training, to have nuanced, age appropriate conversations about this. In the absence of proactive lessons, social media becomes the primary source of cultural influence, and is filled with misleading and concerning advice. I want every person to feel secure when asserting their boundaries and respecting others.

My Story

I was that young Jewish leader. I was a camp counsellor, president of my youth group chapter, and Hillel engagement intern before eventually becoming a full time Jewish youth group professional. No matter what level I was involved in as a participant or staff, I was given training on how to be inclusive, but rarely education on appropriate boundaries with others.

Things have changed since I was a teenager. We’ve had consent campaigns teaching “yes means yes”, the Me Too movement, and camp training now includes child harm reduction strategies. This is why, when working as associate regional director for one of those youth groups, I was shocked to find out that hook-up culture was alive and well, and none of these positive messages were manifesting in the day to day lives of the young people I was now working with. There were many instances where a teen would share a piece of information about their dating life with me, and it was clear that no one had taught them about consent beyond the catchy slogans. 

These interactions are what started me on my journey to becoming a certified sexual health educator. Across all the different organisations I have developed workshops for, the common thread is that young adults want to know about healthy relationships, consent, and boundaries. Camps and college/university spaces are in the unique position to be teaching young adults the relational and emotional skills they will need to be successful in all their adult relationships. 

When we teach young adults how to have healthy interpersonal relationships centering respect with each other, those values will show up in all their interactions, including with campers, younger leaders in the organisation, and at campus parties. Consent is just one more leadership skill we should be teaching everyone. 

About the Founder

Rae Szereszewski is an Options for Sexual Health certified sexual health educator and SHEC grad, with a Bachelor of Design in fashion and apparel design from Toronto Metropolitan University. Past work experience also includes autism respite work, youth group organisation, and event coordination. With a client centred approach to her work, she will extensively tailor her workshops and trainings to fit the needs of your community. 

Testimonials

  • "Last year, we brought Rae in to conduct a consent workshop for our new pledges. Our chapter has always prided itself on being known as the "safe frat," and we wanted to keep that reputation strong. Rae created an environment where everyone felt comfortable sharing their experiences and asking questions about dating and relationships. She really connected with the guys, helping them understand that they didn’t have to conform to stereotypes about how men should act. Instead, she encouraged them to listen to themselves and focus on what they genuinely want in relationships. The workshop was so impactful that we've invited Rae back this year to continue the conversation."

    -Jeremy Borg, AEPi Ottawa President

  • Rae was fantastic to work with—always clear and communicative. She took the time to really understand our day camp's unique situation, including how being in a community space influences our policies. We recognized that our staff needed more comprehensive education on workplace behavior, beyond the basic staff/child boundaries we had previously covered. Rae brought valuable suggestions to the table and crafted a plan that fit our camp perfectly. She was transparent and thorough, even setting up a call to ensure the scenarios and examples were spot-on for our counselors. Rae really addressed the issues our team needed help with.

    -Alisha Sandy, Assistant Director, JCamp & School Age Programming

  • "Rae has been incredible to work with and has helped drastically improve our consent culture at camp through her staff training sessions. Our counselors said it was the most direct and relevant workshop they’d ever attended on consent. Less than a month later, we’re already seeing the language she introduced being implemented by our staff. "

    -Marly Bromstein, Development & Community Engagement Associate, Camp George

  • "I had the pleasure of hiring Rae to teach two separate sex Ed classes using the Jewish perspective to my 5th through 7th graders last year, virtually. She walked me through how she was going to teach, ensuring me that the material would be developmentally appropriate. In the end the classes were great, and the students walked away with a deeper understanding of consent, puberty, amongst other topics. Rae also offered to hold a class for my parents, so that they would be prepared to have conversations. he was able to create a safe and inviting environment, even over Zoom, that the parents asked many questions and happily participated."

    Rabbi Tzvia Jasper, Temple Sinai

  • "What stood out to me the most was Rae's willingness to work within our budgetary capacity. She took the time to speak with me and understand the specific needs and concerns of the sorority members. Rae was able to tailor her content to align with the unique challenges and experiences affecting university aged women in their daily lives. Her interactive teaching style encouraged active participation from everyone in the room, which resulted in a safe space for members to ask questions. "

    Haylee Muroff, Kappa Beta Gamma Beta Delta Vice President

  • "Thank YOU!!! Debriefed with co-facilitators and we are so so thrilled with how that went. You delivered the material in a very open and accessible way that was age appropriate. Everyone was involved and asking questions and it doesn’t get much better than that for a group!!"

    -Anna Chouchkova, Snap Girls, Family Worker, CDI