FACULTY Workshops

Youth engagement in GSAs leads to greater empowerment in perceived peer validation, self-efficacy to promote social justice, and hope. This session explores youth engagement from the lens of multi-generational (also known as youth-adult) partnerships – a model for building equitable working relationships with young people to address the issues, policies, and programs that most affect them. We will unpack adultism and support school staff to move towards authentic collaboration and youth-led work in GSA clubs. 

Join us for an engaging workshop designed specifically for GSA advisors seeking to enhance their leadership skills. In this session, we'll explore the principles of 'Managing Up'—a dynamic approach to fostering effective communication and collaboration with school administration, parents, and other stakeholders. Discover practical strategies to advocate for your GSA, navigate challenges, and amplify the impact of your advocacy efforts. Elevate your role as a GSA advisor and empower your club to thrive within the school community. Don't miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and elevate your advisor game!

During this workshop, educators will engage with well-known books with lesser-known queer history attached. Through textual analysis, historical documents, and context within those time periods, we will explore how queerness influenced these works. Then, we will take educators through the pedagogical implications of this history and tangible ways to add queer perspectives to an ELA curriculum.

Many families struggle with reaching places of support, acceptance, or understanding for their LGBTQ child or loved one. During this workshop with the leading family based LGBTQ organization in the country, we'll talk through resources for parents, caregivers, and other family members who have LGBTQ loved ones, discuss the worries and misconceptions that often serve as roots to lack of acceptance, and talk about how to encourage family to show support while on their acceptance journey. 

During this workshop, participants will learn about HMI's approach to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth's sexual health needs. Using a Service Navigation model that is rooted in the GOALS framework and motivational interviewing techniques, our Service Navigators support youth with identifying the services and resources they need to live healthier and empowered lives. The workshop will share methods that other programs and staff can use to support their students.

The American Psychological Association has developed RESPECT, an online course to teach school-based health and mental health professionals, teachers, and administrators how to create safe and supportive classrooms and schools for LGBTQ+ students. This session will highlight key skill-building elements included in the course and the research behind why it works. The session will also provide guidance on how this free course, which blends asynchronous and live instruction, can be implemented building wide.

The Center has great resources and expanding in programming. This is a great opportunity to have an open discussion about the needs of the students. We would like to present our services through an interactive games and engagement.

The NYC Human Rights Law is one of the strongest in the country. This workshop emphasizes the rights and obligations under the City's non-discrimination law in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and prohibitions against discriminatory harassment and bias-based profiling by law enforcement. Also learn the rights of students, faculty, and staff related to the specific protected classes of sexual orientation and gender identity. Learn about your rights and how to file a discrimination complaint.

This experiential workshop begins with an exploration of self, as an individual and as part of the group, asking everyone to approach our time together authentically and honor the identities in the room, as we must with our students. How are we showing up today? What do we believe we know, can do, and “can’t” do? How can we move forward, together, honoring ourselves while being open to connecting? Through dialogue and physical activities, participants will unpack preconceived notions about community, ballroom and partner dance. They will dance merengue, fox trot and/or swing and be introduced to the research, rationale, and teaching practices that allow Dancing Classrooms to teach these dances to elementary, middle, and high school students in more inclusive and gender-diverse ways. No prior dance experience is necessary to participate!

In this session, you will become familiar with NYC DOE guidelines regarding LGBTQ+ students with a focus on gendered language and facilities access, learn how to honor LGBTQ+ students’ rights in a school environment, and learn about the importance of supporting a GSA club within your school.

Have you ever wondered what you can do to help make your school community safer for LGBTQ+ students? Then this is the workshop for you. Join us as we discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth, learn and understand terminology that will help support LGBTQ+ youth in our communities, learn strategies to create more inclusive classrooms & communities, and receive take away activity ideas you can bring back to your school community to try out yourself. Let's work together to make our communities a safer place for our LGBTQ+ youth!

This session will provide participants with an overview of the Ask Before You Act campaign on sexual consent communication, an LGBTQ+ inclusive public awareness campaign created by the NYC DOHMH in partnership with youth and community members. Participants will be engaged in some of the interactive educational activities that are included in the Ask Before You Act: Youth Engagement Guide on Sexual Consent Communication, including youth created scenarios where the issue of consent arises as well as exercises that address how to deliver and receive rejection as part of consent communication. 

In this session we will provide faculty advisors a deeper understanding of queerness in non-Western cultures and the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and POC communities. This workshop dives into historical examples of queerness in traditional cultures and seeks to dispute the idea that queerness is a recent invention native to Western culture, and that the white Western world is the only place where queerness can thrive. Through this workshop, faculty advisors are given information to help them support their BIPOC students.

Learn how to use Rainbow Quest to facilitate social and intercultural competencies to reduce bullying, discrimination, and intolerance, for building and sustaining healthy and safe communities at home and in schools. The easily learned RAINBOW QUEST! board game makes teaching the inclusive curriculum and GSA advising easy and fun. Suggestions will be offered on using the game on the tabletop or just the card deck, whether you have an hour or just 5 minutes.