Abstract
Introduction
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) equips adolescents with the knowledge and skills to build healthy relationships and make informed health decisions; however, adolescents in Hampton Roads, Virginia, continue to experience uneven access to medically accurate, inclusive, and comprehensive sexual health education across school and community settings. To address this local need and expand accessible learning opportunities, Teen Health 360 implemented a virtual Summer Academy in 2026 in collaboration with local community partners. The Academy used the evidence-informed, developmentally appropriate Family Life and Sexual Health (FLASH) curriculum developed by Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Methods
FLASH’s middle school curriculum was delivered through a four-day virtual Summer Academy via Zoom in July 2026. Participants attended daily 90-minute sessions covering seven FLASH lessons on healthy relationships, communication, reproductive health, STI prevention, and contraceptive methods. Lesson-specific slides were developed to adapt the curriculum for virtual delivery, incorporating interactive strategies such as Kahoot knowledge checks, peer role-play scenarios, breakout-room activities, group discussions, and Zoom chat. Anonymous questions were collected daily to identify participants’ interests and ongoing educational needs. Program outcomes were assessed using pre- and post-surveys, with Pearson chi-square tests examining changes in individual knowledge indicators and analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessing changes in overall knowledge scores.
Results
Nineteen adolescents (aged 10–15 years) enrolled; 84.2% attended all four sessions, 89.5% attended at least three, and 73.7% completed the post-program evaluation. Among participants with available demographic data (n=17), 52.9% were male, 47.1% female, and 88.2% identified as Asian. Mean knowledge accuracy increased significantly from 65.6% at pre-survey (n=17) to 79.2% at post-survey (n=14), a 13.6-percentage-point gain (p .01), with significant improvements across six HIV/STI, reproductive anatomy, and contraceptive knowledge indicators; the largest gain was recognizing that people with HIV/STIs may be asymptomatic (23.5% vs. 92.9%; p .001). Post-program evaluations were highly favorable: 100% reported that FLASH would help them make safe and healthy decisions, 85.7% felt confident recognizing healthy relationships, and 78.6% felt confident discussing condom use with a partner. Open-ended post-survey feedback further suggested that the academy provided an engaging and supportive environment for discussing sensitive sexual health topics.
Conclusion
The virtual FLASH Summer Academy demonstrates the feasibility of delivering comprehensive, inclusive sexual health education through a community-based virtual model. FLASH’s flexible, evidence-informed design supported medically accurate education while emphasizing communication, informed decision-making, healthy relationships, and personal agency through interactive learning.
Significant improvements in sexual health knowledge, coupled with high participant satisfaction and confidence in applying key skills, provide promising evidence of the program’s effectiveness in strengthening adolescents’ knowledge and fostering healthy decision-making. Virtual delivery, interactive activities, and anonymous question opportunities also fostered engagement and provided a supportive environment for discussing sensitive topics.
Future implementation will focus on expanding reach, evaluating behavioral and longer-term outcomes, and adapting the model across diverse community settings. Further scaling and evaluation of this virtual academy framework may offer a promising strategy for advancing equitable access to comprehensive sexuality education and bridging gaps in adolescent preventive health education.