ABOUT
Why R.I.S.E?
I am committed to revolutionizing sexuality education through an anti-colonial, liberatory lens. My mission is to reimagine and create innovative educational frameworks that serve learners throughout their lifetime, empowering them with knowledge and agency while dismantling the oppressive impacts of colonialist and capitalist structures within non-profit organizations and reproductive health.
I believe that education is a powerful tool for liberation and social change. By centering the experiences and voices of marginalized communities, I aim to challenge dominant narratives and systems that perpetuate inequality and harm. My approach prioritizes intersectionality, recognizing the interconnectedness of race, gender, sexuality, and other social identities in shaping individuals' experiences of sexuality and health.
Through collaborative partnerships with educators, activists, and community organizations, I strive to co-create culturally responsive and inclusive curricula that honor diverse perspectives and lived experiences. I am committed to fostering critical thinking, empathy, and resilience in learners, equipping them with the tools to navigate complex social realities and advocate for their own health and well-being.
At RISE, we envision a future where sexuality education is transformative, affirming, and accessible to all.
Pronoun series:
They / She
Steph Zapata is a well-seasoned, award-winning, NuyoRican sexuality educator, & space creator.
They have become a long-term catalyst for change within sexuality education through their radically intentional approaches that call out systems of oppression, and call-in individuals and community to disrupt & reimagine what can be.
Their work focuses on collective liberation tactics through innovative and honest sex ed that creates space for the whole self, and the whole truth.
Steph is a self-titled Unprofessional Professional who offers no apology for the disruption of white supremacy through the joy of decolonial sexuality education.
For some organizers who find their path on campus, their activism and community engagement fizzle out after leaving the school life. Others, however, were born to be long-term catalysts for change. Since moving on from her Bronx organizing Roots, Stephanie continues to practice catalytic innovation today.
She pursued her passion for gender & sexual visibility in education while working as a sex educator at some of NYC’s top non- profits. While doing that work, Stephanie realized that conventional sex education disregarded the needs of system-impacted communities - Black, Latin, low-income, and Queer communities especially. She also realized how crucial it is for health education to be centered around sexual/reproductive liberation, not just
prevention.
Today, Stephanie is a social entrepreneur, who has created an educational consulting agency all her own. She has presented keynotes at over a countless major, notable health conferences, and provides training workshops that discuss sex education based on an anti-oppression and inclusive frameworks. Stephanie’s belief that sex education is an invaluable tool to dismantle major aspects of systematic oppression, has been embraced by many others in her field, and has led to opportunities to bring this insight to communities across the country. After recently being named one of B.E.Q. Magazines 40 LGBT Leaders Under 40, their more recent achievement, made a LOUD smash...ha...see what she did there?
In June of 2020, Stephanie successfully cultivated an entire virtual conference, (S.L.A.M), Sexuality Liberators and Movers Conference which brought together some of the country’s top sex educators and clinicians.
The conference is designed to give participants a more critical analysis in race, inclusive practices, environmental justice, and history through a liberatory sex education lens. Stephanie believes that through intentional centering and uplifting of contributors/voices of Color, we will finally begin to see true sexual liberation become not only a standard practice, but a reality.