When junior and co-president of Sexual Health Education Club (SHEC) Izzi Gilbert Burke received the opportunity to make change, she felt excited to share about the event with the club.

“We want to talk about the experience,” Gilbert Burke said. “Also, (about) why we are so lucky that we have this club and the opportunity to speak about everything rather than be silenced.”

According to junior and co-president Philip Djerf he and Gilbert Burke are partnering with an HIV/AIDS speaker, Annie Elmer, to help promote change.

“We were invited to work with Annie Elmer, a woman who spoke to our embedded health class about HIV and AIDS,” Djerf said. “She is HIV positive and spends time advocating for better health curriculums and for policies to help people with AIDS.”

Gilbert Burke said Elmer and her team hope to pass a bill regarding sexual education.

“They are trying to get a comprehensive sex education bill passed so all of Minnesota has comprehensive sex education,” Gilbert Burke said.

Djerf said he initially met Elmer after she visited his health class.

“We connected with her because I introduced myself to her after she spoke to our health class,” Djerf said. “She was excited to meet youth passionate about sexual health and thought it would be a great partnership.”

Djerf said he hopes to help others understand AIDS and its significance.

“The goal is to make it clear to lawmakers, policymakers, government officials, school boards and our community that AIDS is a very important issue that needs to be acted upon with priority,” Djerf said.

Gilbert Burke said she thinks student opinions will have a big impact.

“It will be impactful coming from students that are involved in really loving what their teachers are preaching and I think it will be a really good turn out,” Gilbert Burke said. “(Also) it will be a really good experience and really informative for other people to hear students opinions.”
According to Djerf, the event takes place on Mar. 27.