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Welcoming Schools
Produced by the
HRC Foundation
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, or check out the following resources and annual reports that come from our program below.
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 interrupt 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.
Check Out Our Annual Reports:
Welcoming Schools Annual Report 2024
This year's annual report highlights the significant achievements of the Welcoming Schools program's impact on educators and youth-serving professionals nationwide to support safe and inclusive Pre-K-12 school environments for all children and youth. Available in English and Spanish.
Read the Full Report
Welcoming Schools Annual Report 2023
This year’s annual report celebrates the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Welcoming Schools program and its enduring impact on educators across the country in support of LGBTQ+ children and youth from preschool through high school. Available in English and Spanish.
Read the Full Report
Welcoming Schools Annual Report 2021
The inaugural Welcoming Schools Annual Report celebrates marked growth and expanded equitable access to virtual PreK-12 training opportunities for educators across the country and internationally.
Read the Full Report
The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the
Human Rights Campaign Foundation
that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission
to support the LGBTQ+ community.
- Topics:
- LGBTQ+ Youth
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