Workshops announced at today’s Safe Schools Summit
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (January 16, 2013) — Following on the heels of today’s Safe Schools Summit, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has announced it will host a Training of Trainers (TOT) to build a cadre of volunteer facilitators willing and able to lead professional development workshops, which will be geared toward educators and aim to create and sustain safe, respectful and healthful learning environments for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity and gender expression.
GLSEN Pittsburgh is working to increase support of local K–12 schools through these new skill-building workshops, which will consist of experiential and interactive components designed to build on participants’ existing knowledge and facilitation skills. GLSEN Pittsburgh encourages those with previous training, facilitation, teaching and/or public speaking experience — and those with an understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues — to apply to become a volunteer facilitator.
Dr. Robert McGarry, Director of Education for GLSEN National, was one of the featured speakers at the event. “It’s important to know what it means to be an ally,” McGarry said. The local chapter,GLSEN Pittsburgh will be working to train educators to help make schools safer for LGBT youth and to combat bullying.
The Safe Schools Summit, which featured national and local leaders, was held to build alliances to confront bullying, harassment and negative experiences of LGBT students in our region’s schools. Goals of the event included raising awareness for parents and educators on services and resources available to LGBT youth and steering the cultural conversation about bullying and school climates. The free event was sponsored by Persad Center, the Pittsburgh chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and GLSEN Pittsburgh.
GLSEN Pittsburgh’s Training of Trainers will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 21–23 in Pittsburgh.
The workshops will be offered at no cost to participants; breakfast and lunch will be provided each day, as will training materials. To apply, contact training@glsenpgh.org or go here. Forms must be submitted by Feb. 15.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.GLSEN believes that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth. Because homophobia and heterosexism undermine a healthy school climate, GLSEN works to educate teachers, students and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adults alike. GLSEN recognizes that forces such as racism and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities, and the group supports schools in seeking to redress all such inequities. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community.
In particular, GLSEN Pittsburgh has been nationally accredited since 2001. In support of its mission,GLSEN Pittsburgh engages current and aspiring educators, staff and students in workshops designed to build safe and affirming schools in its 11-county service area of southwestern Pennsylvania. GLSEN Pittsburgh helps educators develop practices and policies that create safe school environments. The group advocates for safe schools at the federal, state, local and school levels. GLSEN Pittsburgh delivers programs and offers useful tools and resources proven to make a difference in the school climate. The group also helps to develop student leaders who want to bring about change and make a positive impact on the culture of their respective schools.