We are updating this page with common questions we receive. If you have a question that is not answered here email us at AnteUpPD@anteuppd.
How is ANTE UP! different? / what makes it stand out from other programs?
- Relational approaches
- We value building, creating, and sustaining relationships
- Interdependence is a guiding principle. We need each other!
- We share power
- Freedom school + Power framework and pedagogy for sexuality professionals
- Black liberatory feminist communal practice from US South
- Anti-colonial in centering needs and goals of participants because you want to be here and want to un / learn in a collective space.
- You get ANTE UP! certified because you are committed to justice and liberation
- Open access! Nothing is behind a paywall, you get the slides, worksheets, texts, and more when you register for classes!
- LIVE sessions with revolutionary sexual liberationist Bianca I Laureano!
- Time and attention are valuable commodities that I offer
- Building relationships requires us to spend time together, listening, talking, and writing together.
- Accessibility is a vital priority and we mean it! Access to us is more than having something online, archived to download later, and with equitable payment offerings. It means we know surveillance tools push us further away from each other so having cameras off is welcome, especially for those of us who live bed life and don’t wish to build intimacy so quickly with others. Captions are on, we will find ASL and BSL interpreters as requested at no additional cost to participants, breaks occur every 60-90 minutes, transcripts offered for media that does not have English subtitles. Contact us to request any specific access needs AnteUpPD@gmail.com
- Prepare you for the world we have inherited
- Center vulnerability as power
- Oral storytelling as methodology and theory and practice
- Attribution and citation are valued as radical revolutionary love
- Messing up, repair, relationship building, creating content, connection vs competition guide our time together as we challenge dehumanization approaches.
Are there any educational requirements to register?
No! At ANTE UP! we know systems in the US are created to keep many of us out and that includes the educational system. We do not require anyone to have advanced degrees. We encourage participants to consider most of our resources are open source (no paywall) and many texts may begin at a reading level of 8th grade and above.
Are there any scholarships?
Yes we offer partial scholarships and invite participants to outline a payment plan option best for them.
Do I have to complete all my classes within a specific time period?
You may complete class in the time that works best for you. We encourage participants to complete classes within 1 year of first payment submitted. And life happens! If this is not possible we understand.
What if my schedule doesn’t fit with any of the classes?
Let us know what specific times and dates work best for you and we can outline future sessions to meet your needs! Email Bianca at AnteUpPD@gmail.com.
What do I need to participate in classes and SARs?
- Interest
- Wifi signal
- English capacity / fluency
What are the hidden costs?
There are no hidden costs. Only 10 classes and SARs are included in the Certificate Program. Other events or offerings outside of those come with their own cost to participants. Participants will not be expected to purchase books for classes as we try to offer open access resources, readings, and videos.
Why invest in accountability?
This is a skill set that all of us benefit from using. When we are focusing on valuing and learning from failure, accountability becomes an option for supporting our unlearning and healing process. We know that we will all make mistakes and we hope we each have communities of practice that can hold us as we need and challenge us even when we are hurting, because we believe that ANTE UP! is not only a philosophy and school, it is a way of life that invests in community, expansion, and revolutionary love.
Why this learning experience?
We learn so much when we interact with others. As virtual learning communities evolve, we will try a variety of activities and experiences together to discover what our best and most effective facilitation strategies and learning techniques include. We are going to ANTE UP! holistic approaches to education, justice, and humanity by using an intersectional and interdisciplinary framework and practice. Guided by the principals of Freedom Schools, the curriculum is rooted in social-emotional learning for participants and instructor.
Why is care and wellness so important?
Because we are all worthy of love and care. When we value this healing approach our communities may be able to more effectively share and find what they need. We are trying something new for this space and we welcome you into this opportunity to create a radical and revolutionary learning space rooted in liberation and love.
Doing this sort of work is hard! Hard in a way we don’t have the words for but that our bodies remember. There are things that may ignite or hurt or confuse us. We must be prepared the best way we can for such challenges and discomforts. These are living documents and are able to shift and change as you need. We ask that you remain present and update as needed.
Because language is alive and changes often. We use language to find people who value what we have to offer. Some classes will be valued and some will not. Each participant has the opportunity to decide what classes are best for them and their choices. We challenge you to take the class that causes you to pause or question what it may be about. Each of us may be surprised by what we experience!
Why are we talking about failure?
Failure is a human experience we all share, yet rarely discuss. When failure is welcomed it is often in a judgemental or harmful way that may lead to a negative impact that could affect multiple lives. What if we tried a different path? What if we discussed and prepared for failure so that when we do fail, because we will fail, we can find the lesson to learn, and try another path.
We offer a class on failure because we need one! This is experiential learning at its best and most challenging.
Why are we talking about death?
Death is a human experience. Death is traumatic and life changing. What do we do when we experience death of family, community, culture, and language? How do we heal and find a path back to ourselves? Are we succession or safety planning? These are some of the ways we will be discussing death because we must find what works for us and what rituals may guide us back to ourselves when we get lost.
I know enough about intersectionality, why do I have to take this class?
Because we are constantly evolving and we need you in class with us. The learning and unlearning process is collective and we expect everyone to ANTE UP!
Why do you focus on communities of color?
In order to retain and support the intellectual growth of educators and organizers of color we are going to begin our inaugural year 2017 investing in their brilliance. Everyone is welcome to take all the classes. Our first year we will focus on certificate recipients, professional development, and retention of participants of color, with a focus on femmes who are dark-skin, trans, non-binary, and disabled / crip. Since 2020 we offer co-lead classes with a new range of instructors who will be sharing their specializations and areas of focus! This is the advanced education freedom school of our dreams and the only way it will evolve and grow is if we all ANTE UP!
Do you offer Continuing Education (CEs)?
As of 2019 we offer AASECT CEs. We believe that choice may lead to liberation and freedom in the forms that are in line with what each person desires and seeks for this program. Therefore we are seeking to offer CEs through a variety of options. We are currently investigating offering Continuing Education Units through select membership organizations and networks. The first is AASECT which has two deadlines for certification per year which comes with a hefty fee. There are some organizations that offer AASECT CEs that Bianca teaches for who are willing to collaborate to offer them to interested parties. These are larger “wish lists” and we cannot wait to get “all the capitalist white supremacist” paperwork in order before doing the life-saving work we need NOW!
Bianca has been certified as an AASECT Sexuality Educator and Supervisor. You may begin or reserve supervision time with Bianca or one of her small virtual supervision groups.
What does my certification mean?
Being ANTE UP! Certified means that you have been trained in understanding the history, implementation, and troubleshooting of various justice frameworks to elevate your work in various communities. Being “certified” in this way is unlike any other certification because at ANTE UP! it’s not about passing a class or writing a paper, it’s about creating your community collaboration philosophy, identifying how to align your fees with your commitment to accessibility and economic justice with receiving a wage to thrive, and interdependence. To be ANTE UP! Certified is to be prepared for a changing world.
How can I become an instructor?
You probably already are! First, research the certification program. If it is what you need, apply to the certification program. Let’s start building now! We encourage people to take at least four classes to see the strategies and virtual learning environments we work to create and strengthen. Every instructor co-teaches at least two classes before doing their own class. This is to provide mentorship, assessment, and evaluation support for each instructor to evolve, grow, and sharpen their facilitation strategies to virtual spaces. There is a submission process for proposing new class that is set up for future workshop or lesson plan possibilities. The classes we offer are ones on the vanguard of this work, so if your idea for a class is already being taught we may ask you how is yours different? Reach out to Bianca for more information about this process at AnteUpPD@gmail.com.
Why do you only hire people of color? Are you racist?
I am a Black femme supremacist. The US sexuality field is 90% white and light skin. There are numerous teaching opportunities, mentorships, internships, and assistantships for racially white non-disabled people and people who have light skin social capital. I am choosing to strategically use my power as a light-skinned LatiNegra fat queer disabled femme to hire Black non-binary, trans femmes, and dark skinned femmes as community intellectuals, treasures, healers, and educators. #BlackFemmesSaveLives.
What makes you so special to do this?
Bianca has invested in our communities for over two decades and built collaborative relationships rooted in honesty, interdependence, and collective liberation. This is what she knows is needed; not only in the US sexuality field, but in all interdisciplinary and justice-centered work. A community assessment across numerous justice-educators and workers in justice movements guides much of our class creations and offerings.
Why do you only offer classes in English?
Spanglish is Bianca’s first language. She knows as much ASL as she does HTML: enough to be dangerous but find the trash can. Language justice is real. We are open to folk translating our classes for those who wish to purchase them to learn and to complement their learning experiences. We are fully invested in making this learning space as accessible as possible. This is a learning experience for all of us and we know we may have done something incorrect already and need to be told so we may correct. Please be in touch if you see something like this! We believe safety and accessibility is a community effort.