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Join Us For Our Welcoming Schools National Day of Reading!
Pledge to read for our National Day of Reading!
COMING SOON: Pledge to Read and Receive a Giveaway!
Check back here soon to pledge to read and enter a drawing for a giveaway of a free book from one of the highlighted selections!
In 2015, an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group forced a school in Wisconsin to cancel plans to read “I am Jazz” in support of a transgender student. In response, more than 600 residents in a town of less than 8,000 showed up at a public reading organized by a parent to show the students that the community had their back.
Every year, in honor of the community’s allyship, communities across the country join HRCF's Welcoming Schools program for its annual National Day of Reading.
Join us on February 27, 2026, for our annual National Day of Reading!
Pledge today to show support and affirm transgender and non-binary youth by reading on your own, with your loved ones, at your school or in your community at a local library, bookstore, place of worship, or community center.
National Day of Reading Sponsors
Explore Welcoming Schools Book Lists for Elementary, Secondary, and Adults/Caregivers
One of the best ways to welcome students and families into your school community is to integrate high-quality texts into your classroom and school libraries. Explore our Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students Booklist for Elementary and Secondary.
Explore Book Lists
Considerations For Creating A Gender Support Plan
Ensure your Transgender and Non-Binary students and their families feel welcome with these considerations to assess your school climate.
View Checklist
Request a Welcoming Schools Professional Development Training
Welcoming Schools has certified facilitators across the country ready to work with your school or district to improve school climate with gender and LGBTQ+ inclusive professional development. Schedule a training or connect with a Welcoming Schools team member about professional development for your school or district by requesting a training.
Free Welcoming Schools Gender Resources for Educators
Welcoming Schools offers teacher-friendly resources designed to help educators create classrooms and schools free of gender stereotypes and gender norms that limit all children. Find resources to help students understand transgender and non-binary people and to support and affirm all students’ identities across the gender spectrum.
Free Welcoming Schools Lesson Plans for Educators
Welcoming Schools offers free lesson plans under four umbrella topics: gender, family, LGBTQ+ inclusive, and bullying. Together, these lesson plans help develop safe and welcoming classrooms and schools.
Below you’ll find videos of Jazz Jennings reading her book I Am Jazz in both Spanish and English subtitles.
