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Welcoming Schools
HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools is the most comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation to provide LGBTQ and gender inclusive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists and resources specifically designed for educators and youth-serving professionals. Our program uses an intersectional, anti-racist lens dedicated to actionable policies and practices. We uplift school communities with critical tools to embrace all families, create LGBTQ and gender inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying, and support transgender and non-binary students.
To learn more, visit welcomingschools.org.
A Checklist for a Welcoming School Environment
Ensure all of your students and their families feel welcome with this simple checklist to assess your school climate. Is it welcoming? Are you developing a school where all children can thrive?
Be Prepared: Responding to Kids’ Questions on LGBTQ Topics
What can you say when a student asks you, “What does ‘gay’ mean?” or “Why does she look like a boy?” Find ways to interupt gender and LGBTQ put-downs.
What Do You Say to ‘That’s So Gay’ & Other Anti-LGBTQ Comments?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a first grader who might not know what the word “gay” means, a sixth grader trying to sound cool, or a tenth grader “teasing” a friend. All of these have the potential of creating an unsafe classroom or school environment and must be addressed. So, what can caring adults do?
Recommendations for Diverse Children’s Books to Support LGBTQ and Gender Inclusive Schools
Booklists include: LGBTQ Inclusive, Embracing Family Diversity, Preventing Bias-Based Bullying; and Understanding Gender and Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students.