Mary Jo Podgurski:
CLASS OF 1968
Greensburg Central Catholic High SchoolClass of 1968
Greensburg, PA
Mary Jo's Story
Since I'm currently teaching 6th graders, I'll post my official bio. Sorry it's so formal;
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski began her career as an RN at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 1070. After marriage, she and her partner Rich moved to New York City, where she became a pediatric oncology nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. Her experience not only strengthened her faith, it focused her with realization that she was mortal, like the many young patients she assisted through terminal illness. Since then, her work has been mission-driven. She obtained a master’s in counseling and completed her education with a doctorate in education.
Dr. Podgurski began serving teen parents in the 70s and founded The Washington Health System Teen Outreach in 1988. She and her staff have presented sexuality education to over 230,000 young people and mentored over 15,000 young parents. Dr. Podgurski is the author of 32 books, including Me Too: Real Talk about Sexuality for People of ALL Abilities and Inside Out: Your Body is Amazing Inside and Out and Belongs ONLY to YOU, a program on child abuse prevention for elementary students. She is the creator of the Nonnie Series – books for children ages 8 and up on challenging topics (Nonnie Talks about Gender, Nonnie Talks about Race, Nonnie Talks about Puberty, Nonnie Talks about Pregnancy and Birth, Nonnie Talks about Death and Nonnie Talks about Sex…& More). She is currently writing Nonnie Talks about Trauma and Nonnie Talks about Consent. Her memoir: The Sex Lady Talks about Life: Love, Laughter and Wisdom from Sex Ed in a Small Town, is currently with a publisher, with an anticipated book launch of October 1988, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of her Outreach. She has presen...Expand for more
ted over 750 workshops locally, nationally and internationally.
Dr. Podgurski and her team of professionals enjoy a long-standing contractual relationship as a provider for Children and Youth Services, with a specialization in serving sexual abuse survivors. She founded the Common Ground Teen Center in 2008, started an active peer education program in 1995, and oversees a county-wide Adolescent Advisory Board (begun in 1997). Her teens create and perform original educational dramas through the Real Talk Performers. In 2005, she created and continues writing a weekly column for young people in the Observer Reporter newspaper, called Ask Mary Jo. Dr. Podgurski co-founded the first GSA in her county in 2005 and continues to volunteer as an advisor.
Dr. Podgurski is a past president of Lamaze International and a certified LCCE (childbirth educator). She is certified in both sexuality education and sexuality counseling from AASECT (American Association for Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists). She is an authorized facilitator for the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children child abuse prevention program, and a certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Program trainer.
Dr. Podgurski has received many professional awards, including the Athena Women of Wisdom Award in 2004, the NAACP Human Rights Award in 2008, The ARC Community Award in 2014, and the 2014 Healthy Teen Network Excellence in Sexuality Education Award. She will be honored as the Washington Community Foundation’s Outstanding Public Educator Award in May of 2018.
She and her partner Rich are the parents of three adult children and grandparents of five grandchildren.
Academy for Adolescent Health, Inc., 410 N. Main Street, Washington, PA 15301
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