Providing holistic services that build community and inspire transformation at the individual, organizational and social levels.

School Safety & Organizational Culture

The lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth go largely unnoticed by many professionals across the nation. Research consistently finds LGBTQ youth to be at high risk of harassment, school failure, suicide, homelessness, and substance abuse. Several school districts around the country have been dealt significant defeats in the courts for failing to provide services and a safe environment for this population. Professional development trainings and resources are available from leaders in the field to support your critical efforts to enhance school/organizational safety and prevent bullying.
Kim Phillips-Knope

Purpose

This workshop is designed to help educators and other youth workers understand, assess, and improve school/organizational climate and safety for all youth, especially those who identify as LGBTQ. Introductory and advanced level workshops are available, as well as training of trainers for those who wish to teach these techniques within their districts or states on a broader level.

Audience

Trainings are for anyone engaged with young people, including: mental health professionals; school teachers, administrators and other school personnel; parents; youth-serving agencies and community-based organizations.

Logistics & Fees

Workshops range in length from two hour sessions to multi-day to meet your unique needs. Fees vary to reflect workshop content, length and travel expenses.

Sample Training Objectives

Workshop A

At the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Gain a working knowledge of the major health and educational risks faced by LGBTQ youth and how school climate can impact those risks;
  • Identify and discuss current terminology related to sexual orientation and gender identity; Assess current school/agency safety and climate for LGBTQ youth;
  • Analyze the implications of key legal and policy issues effecting LGBTQ youth and a safe school environment;
  • Practice skills for responding to and intervening with students, staff and the broader school community;
  • Formulate an action plan to address safety and climate issues for LGBTQ youth at the individual, collegial, and the school/community levels.

Workshop B

At the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Assess and understand personal comfort levels relating to LGBTQ issues;
  • Understand participant behavior change as it relates to the implementation of workshop curricula;
  • Understand the role of action planning as it relates to the implementation of workshop curricula;
  • Understand the role of technical assistance follow-up as it relates to the implementation of workshop curricula;
  • Develop and demonstrate skills to address difficult questions and scenarios that arise during workshop implementation;
  • Design training curricula related to addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth for a diversity of audiences.

Resources

To access LGBTQ bullying prevention resources for your school or organization, see A Silent Crisis: Creating Safe Schools for Sexuality Minority Youth, produced by the Michigan Department of Education and edited by Kim.

To learn about Kim‟s training philosophy, listen to this podcast from The Prevention Researcher.