Resources for Educators

Every youth has the right to honest, empowering sexual health and relationships education to help them make informed decisions for their future.

Learn More About sex Ed in Montana

Contact Us Directly to Learn More About Hosting Us in Your Classroom or School

We work with young people from ages 8-24 years old! If you don’t see something that meets your needs, please reach out to us! We love to work with individuals, schools and community groups! To set up a presentation or workshop tailored to your needs email our Education Team at education@bridgercare.org or call (406) 587-0681 ext 113 

Schedule a program consultation

Find the Right Program for Your Classroom!

Find the Right Program for Your Classroom!

Our Education Team (and our Peer Educators, if requested) are happy to come to private or public-school classrooms and youth serving organizations to teach age-appropriate lessons to youth from middle school through 24 years old on topics such as reproductive anatomy, consent, healthy relationships, birth control, and sexually transmitted infections. We work with the schools and teachers to modify our evidence-based programs based on the needs of the students and their families.

A blonde educator wearing a denim jacket with a low bun in her hair smiles at something off camera as she holds an expo marker.

Elementary School (4th and 5th)

  • These include…

    • Reproductive anatomy 

    • Physical changes during puberty 

    • Emotional changes during puberty 

    • Identifying trusted adults for support 

Middle School

  • This 9 lesson curriculum has grade specific lessons which build on each other from 6th-8th grade. This curriculum also has a parent component of pre-lesson letters, post-lesson activities and a website.

  • The primary goals of Making Proud Choices! are to increase knowledge about prevention of HIV, STDs and pregnancy, reinforce positive attitudes/beliefs about condom use, and increase confidence in participants' ability to negotiate safer sex and use condoms correctly. The program works to lower the incidence of STD/HIV risk-associated sexual behavior among youth, by inculcating a sense of pride and responsibility among its participants, providing them with the knowledge and skills they need, and motivating them to make a difference in their lives. 

High School

  • LiFT is a 6-hour program that brings high schoolers and their parents or caregivers together to share family values, strengthen family bonds, and talk about the tough stuff – healthy relationships and sexual health.

  • This 8-lesson curriculum focuses setting goals and dreams and the impact of their decisions, transmission and prevention of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention, beliefs and attitudes about protection and birth control methods, and communication skills. This curriculum is available for both middle and high school students.

What Our Partners Are Saying!

  • “Bridgercare has been an amazing resource for our school. They come in and teach our students sex education that is age appropriate and evidence based. Student questions are answered in a fact-based manner that doesn't reveal any biases or values the presenter may have. This approach provides information for our students to then make their own decisions, start discussions with their families, etc. without forcing any opinions onto them.

    The Bridgercare team provides a valuable resource for our teachers who may not feel comfortable or knowledgeable enough to teach on their own.

    Bridgercare has my complete support in continuing to come and educate our students.”

    — Rural Public School Administrator

  • We are incredibly grateful for the partnership we’ve built with Bridgercare and the positive impact they’ve had on our students and our school community. Their team brings compassion, professionalism, and a wealth of knowledge into our classrooms, helping us address sensitive topics in an age-appropriate and respectful way.

    What truly sets Bridgercare apart is how easy and supportive their team is to work with. They ’re responsive, adaptable, and always willing to collaborate to meet our school's unique needs. Our students feel safe, informed, and empowered after their presentations.

    Bridgercare has made a real difference here, and we feel fortunate to continue working with such a thoughtful and dedicated organization. We are proud to have been partners with Bridgercare for over 15 years.

    -Elementary School Counselor, Gallatin County

  • Bridgercare’s team of educators brought expertise and a thoughtful, engaging approach to discussing important topics like sexual health, consent, relationships, and overall well-being.

    Bridgercare's educators have created a safe, open environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and learning about their bodies and health. Their lessons are not only informative but also age-appropriate, ensuring that each student receives the information they need in a way that is relevant to their stage of development.

    - Rural School Educator

  • “Our school has partnered for many years with Bridgercare to bring in valuable health education lessons with our students.  We recognize the value of offering students/families with these lessons as a part of our Health Enhancement curriculum.  I've sat in on lessons and witnessed Bridgercare educators in action.  They are professional, utilize accurate terminology, and provide students with factual information about reproductive health, but in an engaging and accessible way (e.g. and breaking students into small groups to brainstorm, playing games like Jeopardy to review facts).  Bridgercare and our administration and school board work collaboratively to tailor lessons to work with our school schedule and needs.  We provide families with copies of the lessons on request, and they can opt out of lessons if they choose.  Quite a few parents have emailed me to share their appreciation for having these lessons.  I have been the middle school/high school counselor for the past 3 years and in my experience, there has been more positive feedback than negative feedback.   This has been an important program for us to continue to offer and so I'm happy to share my perspective!”

    - Grade 6-12 School Counselor, Gallatin County



Building Partnerships, Strengthening Communities

At Bridgercare, we believe in the power of collaboration. Join us as we build meaningful relationships that make a real difference. Here is what you can expect from us when partnering:  

Four women in casual clothing stand arm and arm smiling.

  • We understand that finding time in the day or year for more programming can be challenging! In schools, we have found that fitting Bridgercare lessons into Health Enhancement or elective times has been most helpful for students and teachers. 

  • Prior to teaching at a school or organization, Bridgercare likes to set up an event for parents, family members, and school staff to meet our team, interact with the curriculum, and address any questions or concerns. We have seen that having “Family Nights” increases comfort with our teaching team and decreases conflict between families, schools/organizations, and Bridgercare. Additionally, it can help families feel prepared to answer any questions their students may come home with! 

  • Creating continued and annual partnerships is crucial to the effectiveness of sex and health education and lasting youth health outcomes. We believe that trusting partnerships are forged through timely and transparent feedback, actionable steps, and commitment to program growth from all partners. After each program, we set up a Post Program Debrief Meeting with appropriate partners to go over what worked, what could be changed, and if there is any need or desire to pivot our programming in the future. 

  • Peer Education is a high school program co-led by Bridgercare and Haven that teaches dedicated high school students how to educate their peers and others about sexuality and healthy relationships in a way that is medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive. Peer Educators, just like all Bridgercare educators, are trained to answer questions which are values or opinion-based in a way that invites students to consider their own personal values as well as those of their family and faith communities. Research shows that the implementation of trained Peer Educators in schools can “increase students’ sexual health knowledge and improve skills that support healthy decision making” while also showing signs of increased “motivation to graduate from high school” (Layzer et al., 2017).

Contact us!

For more information about curricula, and to find out what Montana Health standards this curriculum meets, contact Anna Couch at acouch@bridgercare.org   

Meet Our Educators!

  • McKeely Shannon (She/Her)

    LEAD EDUCATION SPECIALIST

    McKeely was an education and development intern at Bridgercare from 2018-2019 and is stoked to rejoin the team as an educator! Her mother has been a nurse for 40 years and provided age-appropriate sex education conversations throughout her childhood. She felt prepared and confident in making decisions about her sexual health due to this education, but also witnessed friends and classmates in college not having the same foundational understanding. As a nursing student, and then as a Community Health major McKeely became passionate about sexual and reproductive health. When not teaching you can find McKeely reading speculative fiction and foraging tasty things to cook and bake. 

  • Kylie Bachich (She/Her)

    EDUCATION SPECIALIST

    Kylie grew up in Bozeman, her involvement with Bridgercare started in 2017-2019 as Peer Educator for her classmates in the Gallatin Valley. She is beyond excited to join the team as an Education Specialist and continue to provide comprehensive sex education around the state. Completing a degree in Public Health at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kylie is passionate about supplying people with the tools needed to make informed and empowered decisions about their reproductive health. Outside of work Kylie is likely hiking, camping, or doing some other variety of outdoor activity with friends and family.

  • Anna Couch (She/Her)

    EDUCATION DIRECTOR

    Anna is the Education Director at Bridgercare, where she leads a small but mighty team to help people of all ages learn about sexual health, healthy relationships, and how to take care of their bodies. Whether she's teaching in classrooms, leading workshops, or working with community partners, Anna is all about making sure everyone has access to accurate and empowering education. She is proud to be providing education to this community because she received sex ed in Gallatin Valley herself as a teen! Anna believes learning about reproductive health should be approachable, non-judgmental, and even a little fun! When not advocating for sexual health, you can find Anna on the trails, playing racket sports or hanging out with her two sweet pups! 

  • Anne McBride (She/Her)

    EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    Anne joined the Education Team after a year and a half of working at Bridgercare's front desk. She is deeply proud of the work that Bridgercare does in the community, and is excited to continue that work as the Education Program Coordinator! When not nose-deep in data and program expansion, you can find Anne on one of Bozeman's many world-class trails, watching competition baking shows, and pretending other people's dogs are her own. 

Stay in the Loop on Bridgercare’s Education Programs!

This website is supported by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,011,249.00 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit https://opa.hhs.gov/.