Training and Education

Living in Community offers a variety of workshops to increase knowledge about sex work with a view to improving services and supports for sex workers and to reduce community conflict about the presence of sex work.

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."

Curriculum for Change

Curriculum for Change is a 3.5 hour workshop for individuals who provide services to sex workers or whose work duties or life circumstances bring them into contact with sex workers. The training examines 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.

Through the workshop participants:

Develop an awareness of the diversity & complexity of sex work
Identify individual and cultural values, beliefs and stereotypes in regard to sex work and sex workers
Assess organizations’ accessibility for sex workers
Acquire and demonstrate tangible skills to meet the needs of sex workers when accessing services

We tailor the training to the specific needs of your organization or group or, you may wish to request specialized training.

Online Training

Living in Community is working on 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.

We anticipate that the online version of Curriculum for Change will be completed later this year. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to find out when the online training is live.

Sex Work Stigma Train the Trainer

The Sex Work Stigma Train the Trainer will teach you how to use Living in Community’s Stigma Video and Facilitator’s Guide to lead a discussion group about the ways that stigma presents barriers to sex workers’ full participation as citizens and access to services.

Living in Community’s ‘Sex Work Stigma Hurts’ video highlights some of the ways that the stigma surrounding sex work negatively impacts the lives of individuals who sell sexual services. The video was developed with the assistance and input of diverse sex workers and it is their lived experience that informs the stories told. This training will support you to lead a discussion about the impacts of stigma and provides evidence-based information to correct some of the misinformation that contributes to sex work stigma. It also provides a foundation to facilitate a discussion about how to mitigate stigma and reduce the barriers that sex workers experience.

It is recommended that individuals complete Curriculum for Change prior to taking the stigma training.

Specialized Training

Health providers, social services, victim services, police, 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.