Group Behind Controversial School Curriculum in Michigan Flying Under Parents’ Radar

Supporters call it necessary progress, but critics question how much input parents really have in what’s being taught.

You may never have heard of the group called the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, commonly known by the acronym MOASH.

The organization provides toolkits, training materials, and guidance that are used by educators, schools, and youth-serving organizations across the state. While MOASH does not directly teach students, its materials and recommendations are designed to influence how sexual health education is discussed and delivered in Michigan communities and classrooms.

The group has a contract with the State of Michigan’s Department of Education and also provides training sessions to teachers and staff in districts across the state.

On the organization’s website “About Us” page, they say their mission statement is to mobilize youth voices, engage community partners, and inform decision-makers to advance sexual health, identities, and rights.

MOASH says on it’s website it’s a strategic partner in the Michigan Department of Education’s LGBTQ+ Students Project, which has delivered training and resources to school and health personnel representing more than 500 school districts across Michigan.

I talked with Katherine Bussard from Salt and Light Global who has done extensive research on MOASH and tells me what she found:

The following is an example of one of the documents in the group’s LGBTQI+ inclusivity toolkit. The group encourages adjusting language. One example is using terms like “committed relationship,” “lifelong relationship,” or “monogamous relationship” instead of “marriage.”

The group claims that 1 in 8 students in Michigan schools indetify as LQBTQ+ and that 23% of LGBTQ+ students attempted suicide in the last 12 months.

MOASH developed what they are calling the K -5 Consente Toolkit:

The organization says the toolkit is “designed to guide you through choosing appropriate consent-related curriculum and resources that work for your classroom, district, and household. These resources are recommended by our team because they are all high quality, age-appropriate, research-based, and scored well on our rubric. The K–2 and 3–5 standards and rubric are adapted from the National Sex Education Standards, which were created by the Sex Education Collaborative. Each resource was evaluated by our team of educators, anti-violence experts, and parents.”

At its core, the material focuses on basic child safety principles that most parents and educators agree on. It teaches that children own their bodies and have the right to personal boundaries, that it is okay to say no to unwanted touch, and that feeling uncomfortable is a signal worth listening to. It emphasizes that abuse or boundary violations are never a child’s fault and that some secrets are unsafe and should always be shared with a trusted adult. Children are encouraged to identify trusted adults, ask for help when something feels wrong, and treat others with respect and dignity. These ideas are widely supported because they are aimed at protecting children, preventing abuse, and helping kids communicate when they need help.

The toolkit becomes controversial when it addresses gender identity issues.

See the standards for grades 3 through 5 below:

By the end of fifth grade, the toolkit states students should be able to:

“Define gender, gender identity, and gender role stereotypes.”

“Discuss the range of ways people express gender.”

“Demonstrate ways to treat people of all gender expressions and identities with dignity and respect.”

MOASH links to a document for K–2 grades that says “the idea of giving too much information too soon to children is a myth.”

MOASH has numerous resources on it’s website including resources for gender affirming care listing names of doctors and hospitals providing Gender Affirming Care in Michigan.

MOASH provides resources to schools when it comes to supporting trans students, dress codes and much more.

MOASH also provides schools resources on how to start gay straight and alliance clubs at schools.

The MOASH K–5 Consent Toolkit is not required by the state of Michigan, and there is no public list showing which school districts have formally adopted it. The toolkit is offered as a voluntary resource, with decisions made locally by school districts through their Sex Education Advisory Boards and school boards. Some districts, such as East Lansing Public Schools, have publicly referenced or shared the toolkit as a resource, but that does not necessarily mean it is fully implemented in classrooms. The use of the toolkit ultimately varies by district based on local policies and community input.

FUNDING

The Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that receives funding from a mix of government grants, private foundations, and individual donations. A significant portion of its budget comes from public funding through federal and state grants supported by taxpayer dollars. These grants are awarded through competitive processes and are used to support MOASH’s work in adolescent health education, sexual violence prevention, and related programming.

In recent years, public records show that hundreds of thousands of dollars in MOASH’s annual revenue have come from federal and state government sources. This includes funding tied to federal health initiatives, such as teen pregnancy prevention and youth health programs administered by federal agencies, as well as grants connected to Michigan state departments. This means a substantial share of MOASH’s operations is funded, at least in part, by taxpayer money.

In addition to government funding, MOASH also raises money through private donations, foundation grants, and other nonprofit revenue sources. While private support plays a role, public funding makes up a notable portion of the organization’s overall budget, placing MOASH among many nonprofits that rely on a combination of taxpayer-funded grants and private contributions to carry out their work.

MOASH TAKING A STAND

The Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health became part of Michigan’s sex education controversy during the state’s effort to update health standards in 2025. On October 14 and 15, 2025, packed public hearings drew backlash from parents over topics such as gender identity and parental rights. The debate culminated on November 13, 2025, when the Michigan State Board of Education voted 5–2 to approve the updated health standards.

MOASH supported the changes, calling them evidence-based and overdue, while critics argued they pushed controversial content into schools. The fight carried into early 2026, as Republican lawmakers moved to limit or roll back the standards, keeping the issue at the center of a broader debate over education policy and parental control.

PUSHING BACK

Republicans in the Michigan House of Representatives are pushing back by proposing cutting funding to the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH).

I have reached out to MOASH for comment and no one has returned my request for comment or interview.