HIV Positive Speakers Program

Under a grant from the Vermont Department of Education, the Center for Health and Learning has gathered a team of HIV positive individuals committed to bringing their experience of living with HIV to the classroom and telling their stories so that young people can distinguish myth from fact, identify the attitudes that are associated with risk and feel motivated to practice abstinence or safe sexual behaviors.

The use of HIV positive speakers in the classroom has proven to be a powerful educational tool in breaking through denial and dispelling common myths and misconceptions. In addition to educating youth about HIV risk and protection, the Speakers Program can influence students to replace irrational fears with compassionate responses and intervene when confronted with prejudice about HIV infection.

The Speakers Program represents the diversity of those affected by HIV: gay men, lesbians, heterosexuals, men, women, Anglos, African Americans, Latinos and people whose infection stemmed from sexual behavior as well as drug behavior.  Knowing that the more closely students identify with a speaker the more effective the prevention impact will be, the Center for Health & Learning will attempt to match a speaker to the teacher’s and students’ special needs and requests. 

Schools hosting an HIV positive speaker are required to provide a stipend of $50 for a first session and at least $25 for each additional event.  (Speakers are allowed a maximum of three sessions in a row.)  If you are interested in bringing a speaker to your classroom, the documents below will get you started. For further information, contact us at info@healthandlearning.org or 802.254.6590.

Speakers Program Documents

1. Speakers Program Overview
General information on how the program is organized with responsibilities broken out by coordinating organization, teacher, AIDS Service Organization, speaker.

2. HIV + Speakers Program Training Summary
A brief description of the preparation of HIV + speakers for their classroom presentations. Includes a list of training objectives.

3.  HIV+ Speaker Request Form
This form must be filled out by the teacher to request a speaker.

4.  Using HIV + Speakers in Your Classroom: Teacher Roles and Responsibilities Contract
This contract outlines the roles and responsibilities of the participating teacher and solidifies his or her role as the speaker advocate.

5.  Teacher Evaluation of Speaking Engagement
The teacher provides feedback on his or her experience with the speaker.

6.  HIV Resources in Vermont
By contract, teachers make this document available to students during the speaker presentation to ensure that those who wish to follow up are given resource information.

7. HIV AIDS Service Organizations in Vermont

8. Preventing HIV: Curriculum Activities That Support the Use of HIV+ Speakers
By contract teachers agree to provide preliminary basic HIV information to students prior to the HIV+ speaker's visit.  This guide provides suggestions for activities that can precede and follow the presentation.

9.  Student Evaluation/Thank You Letter
In the form of a thank you letter to the speaker, students provide feedback on the impact of the presentation, including its effect on their knowledge, feelings and intentions to protect themselves from HIV in the future. This information is screened for crisis intervention, used as evaluation data for the program and provided to the speaker as feedback.

10.  Speaker Roles and Responsibilities
This contract outlines the roles and responsibilities of the participating Speaker.

ADVISORY BOARD
This program was developed with input from an advisory board that includes: 

Kathryn Cassi O'Neill, HIV Prevention Program Coordinator
Vermont Department of Education
The DoE has partially funded the development of this program under a grant from the Centers for Disease Control
120 State Street Montpelier VT 05620
802.828.5151, kathryn.oneill@state.vt.us

Donyne Cowan, PERY (Positive Educators Reaching Youth) Program Coordinator, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts
Serves people living with HIV and AIDS in the state of Massachusetts  
294 Washington Street 5th Floor Boston MA 02108
617-450-1503, Hotline: (800) 235-2331, info@aac.org
PERY Program line 617-450-1228

Jo Schneiderman, Executive Director, Twin States Network
Provides support services for individuals, families and children in New Hampshire and Vermont that have been impacted by HIV and/or Hepatitis C
PO Box 882 Bellows Falls VT 05101
802 254-6716, www.twinstatesnetwork.net 

Kathy Kilcourse, Program Administrator, Vermont People with AIDS Coalition
A grass-roots advocacy group run by people living with HIV/AIDS whose mission is to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in Vermont 
P.O. Box 11 Montpelier VT 05602
802-229-5754, 800-698-8792 (Vermont only), www.vtpwac.org