“LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that brings together many different gender and sexual identities that often face marginalization across society. The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and the + holds space for the expanding and new understanding of different parts of the very diverse gender and sexual identities.” (Princeton Gender and Sexuality Resource Center)

As a Needham Public Schools Community we are committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and equitable learning experience for all students, their families, and our faculty.  Recognizing that we all enter this work with different perspectives, understandings, and lived experiences, our goal is to offer information, resources, and learning opportunities geared towards deepening understanding and strengthening practice no matter where you are on your journey towards becoming a culturally responsive, antiracist, and anti-biased member of our school community.  Most importantly, we honor and celebrate our collective power as educators and community members to enact change and hope that this website can also serve as a growing professional learning community with opportunities for individuals to contribute their ideas, resources, and expertise. (NPS Equity Website)

According to the Trevor Project's 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People:

• 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year - including 46% of transgender and nonbinary young people. LGBTQ+ youth of color reported higher rates than White peers.

• 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics.

• LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities.

Additionally, according to data provided by Needham’s students via the Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey:

• More LGBTQ+ youth are bullied at school than heterosexual cisgender youth (24% vs. 16%).

• More LGBTQ+ youth are cyberbullied than heterosexual cisgender youth (29% vs. 19%).

• Module 1: Welcome to LGBTQIA+ Inclusion

• Module 2: Building a Safe Space for All 

• Module 3: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Students and Families

• Module 4: Deepening Your Understanding

• Module 5: Your Journey of Inclusion Continues

Course Details

Target Audience: PreK-12 Needham Public Schools Educators

Background:  Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) emphasizes educating all students, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. This aligns perfectly with the equity focused foundational principle of Needham's Social, Emotional, and Learning Mental Health (SELMH) Framework. Needham’s SELMH framework charges us with ensuring practices promote mental health for all students, with particular attention to marginalized groups and those at higher risk. In addition, the Portrait of a Needham Graduate expects us to prepare all students to understand and respect diversity. This course, created by the LGBTQIA+ Working Group (established in summer 2023), prepares educators to meet these expectations.

Course Goal: Equip educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources to create inclusive learning environments for LGBTQIA+ students, fostering their social-emotional well-being and academic success, and aligning with the Portrait of a Needham Graduate competencies, SEL frameworks, and MA Health frameworks.