Diversity Rules Magazine

19 Diversity Rules Magazine April 2018 What happens when you bring gender training to a public elementary school? In Creating Gender Inclusive Schools the Peralta Elemen- tary School in Oakland CA demonstrates the power of an open and honest conversation about gender. e school brought in the staff of Gender Spectrum to provide training for teachers and administra- tors as well as an age-appropriate cur- riculum for students. During this step, everyone involved was empowered to look at their own personal confusion, bias and feelings around gender. Parents are brought into the mix next, and add to the spirited discussion about creating a safe place for all of our children to be themselves. A week of classroom activities helps the students learn about gender, ste- reotyping, and bullying. eir insightful and intuitive discussions will open your eyes to how comfortable young people can be when given the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about gender. Creating Gender Inclusive Schools demonstrates that it's not only possible, but that it's downright fun, to train an entire public elementary school community to be inclusive of transgender and gender expansive youth. Creating Gender Inclusive Schools is one of four films in the Youth & Gender Media Project, which together demonstrate how to reach every member of a school community— students, teachers, parents and administrators—to help them create educational set- tings that welcome all young people, regardless of the where they fall on the spectrums of gender identity and expression. e Mission of the Youth & Gender Media Project At the Youth and Gender Media Project, we believe all young people should be encouraged to be them- selves, free from the fear of bullying or discourage- ment. Our mission is to utilize our series of short films and curricula about transgender and gender expansive young people, their parents and their schools to foster inclusive communities for all young people, regardless of their gender identity or expres- sion. Our ultimate vision is to create a world where all people are free to express themselves fully and are celebrated for who they really are. Creating Gender Inclusive Schools The Power Of Open And Honest Discussions Of Gender http://youthandgendermediaproject.org

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