On Friday, July 5, 2013 NEA HIN Board Member Eric Brown presented Jerry Newberry with the 2013 Ryan White Award at the NEA’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Caucus Dinner. The dinner took place at the National Education Association’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia.
The award is named after Ryan White, a student from Indiana whose address to the Representative Assembly in 1988 challenged and moved the delegates and staff of NEA to take greater action against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13 and became a pioneer in AIDS education, spending the remaining years of his young life trying to help slow the spread of the disease and reduce prejudice against people living with HIV and AIDS.
In presenting the award to Jerry, Eric Brown noted that Jerry had spent his career working for to meet the challenge set by Ryan. Starting with his work in Fairfax County, VA to make sure that every student had access to a high quality, age appropriate family life curriculum, Jerry took courageous stands that facilitated programs that delivered information and education about HIV/AIDS and other pressing health concerns.
At NEA HIN, Jerry led the development of the The Red Book an easy to read, factual guide for dealing with exposure to blood and body fluid in schools and school buses. He also spearheaded the development of Can We Talk, a cutting edge curriculum to support parents in talking with their children about sexual and reproductive health. Most recently, Jerry led NEA HIN participation in national work to create the first national standards for school-based sexuality education, including HIV/AIDS related content.
NEA HIN Manager of Programs, Nora Howley, noted that “When I first came into school health, it was around the issue of HIV and one of the first voices I heard was Jerry’s. Even before I met Jerry, I knew this was a man who was making a difference for young people, particularly GLBT young people.”
The NEA HIN Board and staff thanks Jerry for his years of dedication and commitment and is proud to have him as the 2013 Ryan White award recipient.
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