Sex::Tech

The 2008 Sex::Tech Conference is coming soon! No, it won’t be a robot orgy or anything like that. It is designed to be a premiere showcase for projects involving sexual and reproductive health and technology. (Bummed it’s not a robot orgy? Read on.)

Internet Sexuality Information Services is partnering with the National Sexuality Resource Center (NSRC), a project of the Human Sexuality Studies Program at San Francisco State University to bring you this amazing event.

The NSRC is committed to providing “a place for people to have their own sexual citizenship” and tries to “achieve medically safe, emotionally stable, and healthy fulfilling sexual lives” by facilitating conversation among diverse people.

Joy O’Donnell is the National Outreach Director of NSRC and is a networker supreme. Currently she is trying to bridge the gap between sexuality-based organizations and mainstream groups in a cross-movement united for the advancement of sexual health and well-being

Charles Klein is the Associate Director of Projects and Developments at NSRC and has an avid interest in technology. Right now he’s conceptualizing groundbreaking projects like one that will pair young people and senior citizens for tech training and sexual health mentoring.

Stay tuned for a closer look at INGI, The Institute for Next Generation Internet, our conference co-hosts.

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I bet you all are wondering who’s behind the curtain at the upcoming Sex::Tech conference. Let the introductions begin …

Deb Levine is the Executive Director over here at ISIS Inc and “brings together experiential education and public health to harness technology for encouraging a positive outlook on sexuality and relationships.” She’s currently working on contracting and finding sponsors for the conference, along with spreading the word about SexINFO, our groundbreaking text-based messaging referral service for San Francisco youth that she hopes to expand beyond the Bay Area. Deb’s dream project involves developing an dynamic new online sex ed game for classroom use.

Andy Woodruff is the Content Manager for ISIS Inc. He combs the Internet looking for links to sexual health services and new technologies, blogging about them regularly here: Technically, It’s About Sex; Andy is primary for the Sex::Tech conference, taking the lead in finding new cool widgets and things we can showcase for you. He’s also a very friendly fellow.

Eric Whitney is the Associate Director and our liaison for bringing public health into the 21^st century. He is currently assisting a number of university researchers in their quest to use the Internet to collect data about people’s sexual behavior.

Jaime Lebrija is the System Administrator, overseeing various new media projects. He is also our resident problem solver and our office DJ.

Margaret Lucas is the Youth Outreach Coordinator, doing a little bit of everything for the organization. Her main focus is securing youth participation for the conference, developing programs to improve young people’s sexual health and relationships while keeping ISIS up-to-date with youth Internet usage trends. She’s currently constructing virtual homes for ISIS on MySpace and other social networking sites.

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Invitations are circulating and we’re all very excited about Sex::Tech 2008! We’ll introduce the supporting organizations more fully in the coming weeks, but for now, here’s a little bit more about your hosts and what we do.

Internet Sexuality Information Services – ISIS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to reach people with
critical sexual health information using technology. We build tools that link people with care (InSPOT.org, STDtest.org, and SEXINFO for example) and present sexual health information in new and fresh ways (Eavesdrop, San Francisco City Clinic website, Californiamen.net and Massmen.net). We work nationally and internationally, contracting with governmental and non-governmental agencies; for-profit and non-profits; and individuals. Stay up to speed with the intersections of sex and technology by visiting our blog.

National Sexuality Resource Center – San Francisco State University’s National Sexuality Resource Center gathers and disseminates the latest information and research on sexual health, education, and rights. Through outreach to advocates, academics, researchers, policy makers, and diverse communities, NSRC is connecting both online and face-to-face to promote social justice and improve the quality of life in the United States. As part of the Ford Foundation-funded network of sexuality resource centers, NSRC are natural partners for Sex::Tech 2008!

Institute for Next Generation Internet – INGI, part of San Francisco State University, provides leadership in the evolution of Next Generation Internet focusing on public policy, industry collaboration, research and development, and community engagement. A primary focus of INGI’s is to enable educational opportunities by breaking down barriers to digital literacy for underserved communities through unique partnerships.

It’s time to start thinking about how you and your organization can get involved. Start planning your presentation, and stay tuned for blog updates and the conference calendar which we’ll release later this fall.
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