Passion Statement
The Birds & Bees Connection has developed a unique model of parent-child courses that celebrate the transition between childhood and adolescence. Our courses create a safe, engaging environment where parents and children come together to openly discuss the physical and emotional changes leading toward, and including, adolescence.
At the Birds & Bees Connection, we help to create a solid foundation whereby parents feel empowered talking with their children, and children gain confidence that leads to an increase of self-esteem and a lasting positive body image.
By educating both parents and children in an engaging, comfortable manner, our goal is to provide accurate information that fosters an open channel of communication about topics that might otherwise be difficult to broach. Ultimately our goal for children is that this experience will translate into good decision-making throughout adolescence.
Our Team:
Leslie Dixon, Executive Director/Founder
Leslie Dixon, Founder and Executive Director of the Birds & Bees Connection, has taught hundreds of courses and shared her unique, comprehensive parent-child programs with tens of thousands of couples throughout Orange and Los Angeles Counties. She has trained a team of certified educators who teach her courses in Southern California and throughout the United States.
Ms. Dixon’s seminars and classes meet the need for connection and communication between parents and children, especially in times of profound transition such as adolescence. Having spent 25 years as a school nurse teaching Family Life, Health Science and Sex Ed., she continually saw the effects of parent-child disconnection. She founded the Birds & Bees Connection in 2002 to bridge that gap and offer tools, information and connections, empowering parents to be a positive and engaged presence in their children’s lives.
The Birds & Bees Connection’s curricula are used by non-profit organizations, religious organizations, schools and various youth and athletic organizations, as well as by educators across the United States.
Leona Laurie, Marketing Director
Leona was the Birds & Bees Connection’s first team member, there at the beginning in the role of Public Relations Coordinator. After working with Leslie to launch the agency, she went on to establish herself in marketing, specializing in the strategic use of social media and blogs. Her career path was deeply influenced by Leslie paying for her to learn HTML in 2001 so that she could build the Birds & Bees Connection’s first website, and she is happy to be on the team again today. She holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Oregon in Communication and Society.
Sharyn Konick, Educator
Sharyn received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and her Bachelor’s Degree in Writing and Sociology from Ithaca College. For the past 22 years she has worked as a social worker and as a director in a range of public/private organizations serving the specialized learning needs of young children, those with mental health issues or families in crisis. Sharyn lives in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, with her husband and twins. She is a Girl Scout Troop Leader, a busy sports mom and a very active volunteer at her children’s school.
Andrea Lombardi, Educator
Andrea earned her BA in English with an emphasis in English Education in 2009 from Iowa State University. She started her teaching career in Yuma, Arizona, and moved to Phoenix two years later to get her Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from ASU. She has been a teacher for seven years and is so excited to bring her passion for learning and education to the Birds & Bees team. She feels that one of the best models for education is to engage the parents in the curriculum alongside their sons/daughters, and this is precisely what the Birds & Bees Connection model does. Andrea lives in Tempe with her husband, stepdaughter and baby son.
Susan Patcha, Educator
Susan attended CSULB’s Nursing Program. She has worked as a NICU RN at CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital since 1999. She currently holds several roles there, including NICU RN, Lead Lactation Consultant and Discharge Coordinator. She lives in Rancho Santa Margarita with her husband and twins. She is a PTA member, Sunday school teacher and the secretary for the Orange County Breastfeeding Coalition. She has been an educator for the Birds & Bees Connection since 2014. Her favorite part of being a nurse is educating families.
Kat Lee Shull, Educator
Kat is a true California native. Born in Newport Beach, she attended Newport Elementary (on the beach!), Ensign Junior High and Newport Harbor High School. She then decided to experience East Coast big-city life by majoring in Literature at New York University. Eventually she returned to the West Coast, where she raised her three kids. Kat has been a Girl Scout Leader, camp counsellor and homeschooling parent. She is passionate about creating space for parents and kids to come together to learn and talk about puberty, reproductive biology and relationships. She has been teaching classes to parents and pre-teens for over 10 years. Kat is also a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and teaches for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as well as several studios throughout Orange County. Kat enjoys reading, especially science and science fiction, camping and going to the beach with her three kids and four dogs.