LeKara Simmons, MPH, CHES

Resilient Clayton

Supporting: Clayton

LeKara Simmons brings a wealth of experience and a profound commitment to advancing comprehensive sex education and adolescent health. LeKara joined GCAPP in 2017 as the WISE program's Training & Technical Assistance Coordinator. She also held pivotal roles within GCAPP, including Program Manager for College Strategy and Senior Program Manager of School-Based Initiatives. Before returning to GCAPP, LeKara served as the Managing Director of AMAZE at Advocates for Youth. In this capacity, she led the AMAZE team and managed projects providing young people access to comprehensive, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sexuality information through engaging animated videos. With 14 years of experience in sexuality education, training, and curriculum development, LeKara has significantly contributed to the field. She has worked with various stakeholders, including the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Family and Children Services, and the Department of Public Health. Her work encompasses developing and delivering education and training for youth, parents, educators, healthcare providers, and other professionals. LeKara brings a unique perspective to this role, particularly in supporting school districts with implementing and training comprehensive sex education curricula. She is dedicated to ensuring that sexual violence prevention education is provided to every student. Her influence extends nationally and internationally, where she continues to ensure that programming is culturally relevant and age-appropriate. LeKara serves on the standing committee for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society. She is also the Education Workgroup Liaison for the Sex Education Collaborative and a contributing author for "Intentional Injury Prevention and Control: Adolescent Sexual Violence and the Law in Public Health Law: Concepts and Case Studies. LeKara is a sought-after speaker, participating in numerous state and national conferences. LeKara holds undergraduate and graduate Public Health degrees from Armstrong Atlantic State University.