The Resource Kit is available with print materials on a cost recovery basis by contacting the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities (SACSC). It can be ordered from the SACSC office:
| Resource Item |
Description |
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| Teachers |
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| Guide Book – Teachers |
Students who experience discrimination, whether it is based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or culture, deserve to be protected in schools.
This booklet is part of a series that focuses on a variety of diversity topics as they affect students. The booklets are designed to help teachers obtain basic factual information, think about the issues and learn strategies to help these students feel safe, cared for and included. |
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| Counsellors |
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| Guide Book – Counsellors |
The information, strategies and ethical guidelines presented in this resource are designed to help empower counsellors to strengthen a professional ethic of respect and caring, develop supports and services for LGBTQ students and to identify policy gaps or absences in school programming and services. |
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| School District Leaders |
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Guide for School District Leaders |
In keeping with law and educational policy, administrators, teachers, counsellors, students and district level personnel each have legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities to ensure that all students, including those who are, or are perceived as being LGBTQ students, are provided with safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments that respect and affirm their individual identities and experiences. This easy to read guide has a suggested process for creating safe environments for LGBTQ students, as well as guiding policies/legislation and resources for further inquiry. |
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Micro-workshop for
School District Leaders |
This micro-workshop provides an opportunity for school district leaders, such as principals or school board members to develop an awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity, where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. All students need to feel valued, welcomed and safe, regardless of their sexual-orientation.
It is available in a PDF document or as a PowerPoint presentation. |
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School Boards Have Positive Duty to Protect Gay and Lesbian Students |
This document chronicles a British Columbia court case where it was ruled that school boards have a “positive duty” to create school environments that are free from discriminatory harassment based on a student’s actual or perceived sexual orientation. |
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| Parents |
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Micro-workshop for Parents |
This micro-workshop provides an opportunity for parents to develop an awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity, where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. All children and youth need to feel valued, welcomed and safe, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
It is available in a PDF document or as a PowerPoint presentation. |
Meeting the Needs of LGBTQ Families: Bridges and Barriers to Building Inclusive School Communities |
This document provides a list that identifies some of the potential barriers that may hinder schools from becoming inclusive learning communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and queer (LGBTQ) students and same-gender parented families. Suggestions for addressing these barriers are also provided. |
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| Safe Spaces Initiative |
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Safe Spaces Poster |
This brilliant, patchwork poster contains moving images from a real quilt, designed by a group called “Youth Understanding Youth”. An image of the quilt, as well as narratives about each patch can be found on the ATA’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Educational Website.
The poster can be downloaded from the SACSC website or ordered from the SACSC office. |
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Safe Spaces Brochure |
A description of the Safe Spaces Initiative, LGBTQ definitions, and other related resources are highlighted in this colourful, informative publication.
The brochure can be downloaded from the SACSC website or ordered from the SACSC office. |
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Safe Spaces Sticker |
This sticker is designed for school staff that wish to identify their classroom as a ‘Safe Space’ for LGBTQ and allied students and their families. The sticker signifies to students that this classroom and/or teacher are safe to discuss issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
The sticker can be downloaded from the SACSC website or ordered from the SACSC office. |
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| Micro-workshops |
SACSC micro-workshops are brief, half hour sessions designed to help teachers continue to integrate SACSC principles into their teaching practices. Ideally, these short workshops follow the Toward a Safe and Caring Secondary Curriculum-Approaches to Integration one-day workshop and are facilitated by a staff member. Each micro-workshop examines a SACS concept or introduces an instructional strategy or learning activity that can be adapted for any classroom setting in any subject area. These micro-workshops are an effective way to extend the professional development experience after the staff has experienced the full day workshop. The micro-workshops can be scheduled as a portion of monthly staff meetings or undertaken as small-group, study sessions. |
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Micro-workshop for Teachers - Building Awareness of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues in Schools:
Exploring Definitions |
This micro-workshop provides an opportunity for school staffs to develop an awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. All students need to be valued, welcomed and made to feel safe, regardless of their race, ethnicity, ability, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. |
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Micro-workshop for Teachers - Homophobia in the School Environment: A Discussion Model |
The focus of this micro-workshop is to develop a critical dialogue that examines teacher and school community attitudes, dispositions and beliefs about homosexuality in an educational context. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity in which every student is given the potential to be, become and belong as full contributing members who can feel valued, welcome and safe regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. |
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|
Micro-workshop for
School District Leaders |
This micro-workshop provides an opportunity for school district leaders, such as principals or school board members to develop an awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity, where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. All students need to feel valued, welcomed and safe, regardless of their sexual-orientation.
It is available in a PDF document or as a PowerPoint presentation. |
| |
|
| Micro-workshop for Parents |
This micro-workshop provides an opportunity for parents to develop an awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Schools, classrooms and communities should be models of diversity, where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. All children and youth need to feel valued, welcomed and safe, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
It is available in a PDF document or as a PowerPoint presentation. |
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| Workshops |
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| Workshop Booking information |
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Workshop 1 – Exploring
the Issues
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The purpose of workshop 1 is to help teachers begin to build awareness and understand the everyday lived experiences, safety and health concerns that many LGBTQ students face in their classrooms, schools and communities. These experiences include feelings related to safety, inclusion and concerns about LGBTQ student health and wellness. |
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Workshop 2 –
Examining Prejudice, Power and Privilege
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Workshop 2 is designed to assist teachers in understanding the professional, ethical and
legal responsibilities that ensure the equitable and safe treatment of LGBTQ students. This workshop will help teachers learn to break down stereotypes and challenge binary thinking that can limit a student’s expressions of individuality and difference |
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| Workshop 3 – Taking Action to Create Safe Schools |
Workshop 3 explores specific strategies and resources that teachers can use to create safe,
caring and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ students. Case studies will assist teachers in thinking about some of the issues and concerns. |
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| Resources |
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Literature Review/Resource
List |
This quick reference page highlights a collection of key literature/resources on LGBTQ issues. |
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| Display |
A display with information on the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities is available to borrow for school, district or community events. It also describes the work of the society on LGBTQ issues, including the Safe Spaces Initiative. For further information, please email the SACSC office – office@sacsc.ca . |
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| Teacher Workshop Descriptions and Booking Information |
This document describes the workshops available through the Alberta Teachers’ Association that can help school staffs work through LGBTQ issues in a positive, proactive manner. It also provides booking information. |
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| Lesson Plans |
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| Lesson Plans |
Lesson plans have been developed that will help teachers cover issues related to LGBTQ concerns, as well as cover Alberta curriculum outcomes. These will be available on the SACSC Secondary Unit and Lesson Plans website. |
