Julia M. Saunders, MEd

Director of Sex Love Intelligence Education Inc.

Healthy sexuality and relationships is of utmost importance to SLI's Director, Julia Saunders. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about sexuality to her sexual health education teaching and training workshops. Her university honours undergrad degree focused on Family Life Education (sic Sex Ed) and critical studies in sexuality (CSiS), and she completed her provisional Family Life Education Certificate (CFLE).

Ms. Saunders holds a Masters in Education (MEd) from UBC (’07). She researched how to apply anti-oppressive paradigms to sexual health education and developed curriculum for teachers in training (BEd students), and other professionals working with youth, to help them address sexually sensitive topics in BC Classrooms or the populations they work with.

Most recently, Ms. Saunders designed school level curriculum for a comprehensive and sustainable Sexual Health Education elementary program for the Yukon Territory.  November 2009 brings Ms. Saunders to the Territory to train teachers, counselors, and nurses her curriculum in order to promote effective and lasting sexual health program delivery in the Territory.

Julia Saunders is also part of few networks of Sexuality Educators in the Vancouver Lower Mainland, including Meg Hickling, Alice Bell, and Saleema Noon. She has developed and delivered Sexual Health workshops in and around Vancouver over the past five years, including for Crofton House School, Katimavik and Kiwassa Neighbourhood House as well at Intention retreats 7, 8, 9 and 10. She also teaches elementary school children in Seattle, WA, and has over a years' experience as a birth control counselor in a woman's clinic in Vancouver.

Along with curriculum development and teaching Julia Saunders is one of the founding members of the Vancouver Society of Sexuality, Gender and Culture in BC (published for the first time in March 2005 in the Vancouver Sun). She was also part of the development team for the Certification for Sexual Health Educators, delivered for the first time in Canada in August 2006, through OPT.

Working with adults has always been a passion of Julia's. Along this directive, her media experience extends from doing a weekly JuiceBox Radio sex and relationship talk show for over 200 episodes, to 6 pieces for a weekly talk show on MTV "He Said, She Said" where she responded as the sexpert to inquiries from youth about sexual and relationship matters. She has also emcee'd some events like the Victoria Erotica Film & Arts Festival, and at Intention 9 and 10.

In 2007, Julia Saunders created the first ever evening of sex ed and performance art "JuiceBox Salon: Experience", which sold out within weeks. Her second JuiceBox Salon: Sins & Senses, was featured in local papers, sold out March 15, 2008, was bigger, more sensuous and focused participants on the path to "Juicy Self Love".

Based on her research and workshop development for teachers in her Masters of Education, Ms. Saunders offers diverse training for all teachers in service to learn to 'Be Approachable'. She also provides innovative and engaging sexual health education to youth in schools, universities, and in the community.