Our Programs
EOI is committed to working closely with Iowa's communities to help them support young people around sexual and reproductive health and the development of healthy relationships. We do this through a number of programs, through which staff work with school districts, community-based organizations, sexual health educators, parents, and teens themselves.
Through this programming, we reach approximately 200,000 young people annually with information to help them prevent pregnancy, make healthy decisions about sex and relationships, and set appropriate boundaries.
Continue reading to learn about our robust offering of programs!
Collaborating Organization
Sex Education Collaborative
EyesOpenIowa is proud to serve as a founding member of the Sex Ed Collaborative (SEC). SEC is made up of 24 national, regional, and state-based organizations with extensive experience training educators to deliver school-based sex education, including EyesOpenIowa. We have partnered to support educators and administrators to provide high-quality sex education no matter where they are, or what they need. The diverse SEC membership includes sex educators, curriculum designers, policy experts, and organizers, with experience successfully advancing sex education at local and national levels.
Programs For Educators
WISE Iowa Project
Working to Institutionalize Sex Ed
The WISE program works to increase school districts’ sustainable implementation of effective sex education that is comprehensive and medically-accurate. Iowa is one of 14 states to receive this important funding and we’ve recently expanded our work into Illinois! Learn how your school can get involved with WISE and improve sex education for all students.
Programs For Teens
S.H.A.R.E. Program
Sexual Health for Adolescents Rooted in Equity (SHARE) program. This unique multi-state project in collaboration with Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, West Virginia, Michigan, and Mississippi will provide inclusive and comprehensive sex education that reaches communities and populations that face the greatest disparities; LGBTQIA+ youth, youth of color, and rural youth, in turn advancing equity in adolescent health. The SHARE program aims to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes; promote positive youth development; and advance health equity for adolescents, their families, and communities through medically accurate, age-appropriate, and evidence-based sexual health information. LGBTQIA+ youth are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned teen pregnancy when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Comprehensive sexual health education has been shown to reduce these risks among non-LGBTQIA+ youth. Similar results are shown among LGBTQIA+ youth when the curriculum is inclusive, affirming, and representative of their identities and experiences.
Plan A
Plan A is a 23-minute video designed for teens ages 13+ and talks about birth control options and STD prevention. The video follows a group of young adults as they make decisions about their relationships and sexual health. Our educators are available to show Plan A in the Des Moines area to schools and organizations.
Watch the trailer for "Plan A" here.
Plan A video with no captions: https://vimeo.com/698762596/1e5b1f3140
Plan A video with Spanish captions: https://vimeo.com/698799390/e8671ed4f1
Plan A video with English captions: https://vimeo.com/698825546/8e27ae44e8
If you would like more information about Plan A, please email EOI.
To view Plan A Privacy Policy/Terms & Conditions, please click here.
To view the Policy/Terms and Conditions in Spanish, please click here.
PASt Programming
Iowans Optimizing Adolescent Health
Iowans Optimizing Adolescent Health was a three-year project through July 2023 funded by the Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs. EyesOpenIowa is lead this collaborative effort in Des Moines along with several area partners: Children & Families of Iowa, Des Moines Public Schools, Grace United Methodist Church, Orchard Place, Please Pass the Love, Broadlawns, DMACC and Young Women’s Resource Center.
Together, these partners launched a new, comprehensive strategy in Des Moines to improve the optimal health of older teens and decrease the rates of unintended pregnancies and STDs/STIs. Project partners provided Des Moines teens and parents/caregivers with accurate and inclusive sexual health education. In addition, partners focused on building a network of supportive adults for teens and strengthening teens’ awareness of services in the area.
Community Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) Program
This innovative, statewide program, delivers sexual health programming to local communities. The Department of Human Services contracts with 17 local grantee agencies across Iowa. Trained educators from these agencies provide evidence-based or evidence-informed sex education curricula in local school districts and agencies. Educators also provide topical information for middle and high school students. EOI was significantly involved in the development, implementation, and expansion of this program from its beginning until 2018. More information about the history of CAPP and its successes is available here.