Training and Education

Living in Community offers a variety of training options to increase knowledge about sex work with a view to improving services and supports for sex workers and reducing sex work stigma.

Curriculum for Change Online

Living in Community has developed an online, self-directed version of our Curriculum for Change training. Curriculum for Change has been delivered to thousands of learners since 2013, and we are excited to make its content more accessible to more people through this new online format.

Curriculum for Change Online offers four separate courses to meet each learner's needs:

Curriculum for Change, our flagship training which examines examines the individual, organizational, and societal beliefs, values, and understandings of sex work, and how these impact the delivery of support services and also sex workers' access to services.
Promising Practices for Working with Sex Workers: Living in Community's Approach to Effective Service Delivery, designed for service providers to learn new skills and approaches and apply the knowledge in case scenarios and other exercises.
Canada's Sex Work Laws in Context, which covers legal frameworks, Canada's sex work laws, and the implications of different legal systems on sex workers.
Human Trafficking: More Than Meets The Eye, which critically examines human trafficking and enhances skills to support persons who are trafficked.

Course One, Curriculum for Change, is a pre-requisite to Courses Two, Three, and Four.

To learn more and register, click here.

As of 2023, Curriculum for Change is available exclusively online via our self-directed online training.

Specialized Training

Health providers, social services, victim services, municipalities, and businesses among others have unique needs when providing services or interacting with sex workers, or addressing sex work-related issues in communities. Living in Community offers specialized training for groups and organizations that are designed to meet the specific needs of the organization to support sex worker health, safety, human rights and inclusion.

Topics include:

Organizational Accessibility Audit
Sex Work and the Law
Supporting Participation of Marginalized People
Sex Work and Feminism
Sex Work and Housing/Shelter Policy
Sex Work and Sexual Assault

Testimonials from training participants:

"I learned so much about these topics today. I entered the workshop with biases I was unaware of and I was able to understand the importance of self-reflection and having a trauma-informed lens when working with [sex workers]."

Testimonials from training participants:

"This was invaluable."

Testimonials from training participants:

"I learned the difference between sex work and human trafficking and the harm it does to confuse the two."

Testimonials from training participants:

"I learned the complexity of the issues [and] the lack of awareness and stigma attached to these issues."

Testimonials from training participants:

"[After this training,] I will approach clients with more active listening, and an understanding that I am there to help best support [sex workers] without judgement."

Testimonials from training participants:

"[After this training,] I will share my notes with my colleagues and have a discussion regarding our unconscious biases."

Testimonials from training participants:

"[I have learned that] it is good to help, but be aware that what you are doing could be more harmful."

Testimonials from training participants:

"[After this training,] I will push my agency to intentionally provide services in a good way to people doing sex work, and to know the difference between sex work and human trafficking."