Helping young people access the education they deserve.

For nearly a decade, we’ve worked alongside organizations, collaboratives, communities, and school districts to expand access to comprehensive sexual health education and resources so young people across Colorado have the information they need to live healthy, happy lives.

Reflecting on Our Journey to Improve Youth Sexual Health

In 2027, our Youth Sexual Health Program will blaze a new trail as Colorado Youth Informed, a new youth-centered catalyst for comprehensive sexual health education. As one trail leads to another, look back at the milestones that helped bring us to this moment.

1980s

Colorado Youth Matter is founded.

  • Colorado Youth Matter (CYM) is formed and begins providing youth sexual health training and professional development to teachers across Colorado.

2017

CYM closes its doors.

  • CYM announces its closure after losing $1.5M in federal funding.

2018

The Youth Sexual Health Program begins at Trailhead.

  • Trailhead integrates the Youth Sexual Health Program from CYM following its closure.

2018

Trailhead identifies priorities for the program through a collaborative environmental scan. These include:

  • Expand access to comprehensive sexual health education statewide.

  • Strengthen coordination and partnerships among health care and community organizations.

  • Create one central place to find youth sexual health resources and services.

  • Meaningfully involve young people in the work.

  • Build sustainable, long-term funding.

2019

close-up of five diverse college friends smiling while taking a selfie outdoors on a sunny day.

The Grove Foundation, Buell Foundation, and Caring for Colorado award $315,000 in new funding to help the program expand.

  • The program works with nine rural and urban school districts through Working to Institutionalize Sex Education.

  • The program launches a Youth Sexual Health Resource Map in collaboration with the Youth Sexual Health Alliance.

2020

Young diverse people having fun outdoor in the city - Focus on gay man face

The Colorado Collaborative for Reproductive Health Equity invites the program to apply for funding.

  • Funding from the ReproCollab will focus on implementing anti-oppressive practices into multiple initiatives and projects within the program.

2021

The ReproCollab through Caring for Colorado awards $150,000 in new funding.

  • New funding will help implement anti-oppressive practices into key initiatives such as the forthcoming State of Adolescent Sexual Health (SASH) Report.

2022

Illustration of a whimsical thought cloud.

A year-long community-engaged process begins to develop the 2023 State of Adolescent Sexual Health Report.

  • Trailhead convenes a Youth Sexual Health Program Board made up of young people and adults whose intersectional identities have historically been excluded in conversations about youth sexual health.

  • Young people share their experiences with sexual health education through Pleasure Artshops facilitated by Talia Cardin, a youth facilitator contracted for the SASH.

2023

The 2023 State of Adolescent Sexual Health Report is released.

  • For the first time, the SASH launches as a website to promote greater depth of learning and resources for advancing sexual health education in Colorado.

  • The report exclusively focuses on the systems that govern and influence the experiences that young people have with sexual health.

  • The program implements a Fee-for-Service model and has partners across Colorado, including in San Luis Valley, Chaffee County, the Western Slope, and Metro Denver.

2024

Youth leaders facilitating a panel session at Colorado's 2024 Public Health Roundtable on Firearm-Related Harm and Violence Prevention

The program supports youth engagement for Colorado’s Public Health Roundtable on Firearm-Related Harm and Violence Prevention.

  • Using their expertise in youth engagement, the program helps recruit and engage 11 young people to serve on a peer-led youth panel addressing firearm-related harm.

2025

Over 11,789 young people are reached in Colorado through trainings provided to educators and trusted adults.

  • The program supports 12 school districts and counties as WISE partners.

  • The program delivers 24 trainings and professional development opportunities to 361 educators, community leaders, parents, caregivers, and youth. These participants collectively reach over 11,789 young people in Colorado.

2026

Trailhead leads advocacy efforts to preserve Colorado’s Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education Grant Program.

  • Over 70 organizations endorse a sign-on letter requesting the state to preserve CHSE funding. 

  • Trailhead staff testify to the Joint Budget Committee and attend lobby days at the capitol.

  • Advocacy helps keep the program in statute despite the eventual loss of funding due to the state budget deficit.

2026

The Youth Sexual Health Program begins its next chapter as Colorado Youth Informed.

  • After eight years as a program of Trailhead Institute, the Youth Sexual Health Program announces its next chapter as Colorado Youth Informed.

  • Under its new identity, CYI prepares to expand its role in policy, advocacy, and youth engagement.

Connect with Colorado Youth Informed

As we close this chapter, we are grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey and are excited to see Colorado Youth Informed carry these relationships and shared work forward.

To learn more about their work, visit their website below and follow along on LinkedIn and Instagram.