News

 

Upcoming Project:
Making High Schools Safe for GLBT Students

High school can be a frightening place. Many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) kids know this all too well and suffer harassment on a regular basis. But the chilling effects of high school homophobia are felt by everyone, gay and straight: the student with gay relatives, the gay or lesbian teacher, the administrator faced with student violence, the community as a whole.

As part of the growing effort to make schools safe and welcoming for all students, UMass Educational Television (UMET) is developing a video teaching tool to help high school teachers and administrators foster GLBT-supportive school environments. UMET is working with people from various schools and communities around the country to create a practical guide that will provide teachers with the tools they need to address GLBT issues and make schools safe and welcoming for all students.

In this videotape, high school teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and other adults from geographically diverse areas will relate specific actions they have taken to combat homophobia. This tape will offer a broad spectrum of teaching techniques, crossing lines of political perspective, race, gender, sexual orientation, class and religion. Students included in the program will describe the importance of adult initiatives in the school community, as well as the dangers of indifference and complacency.

Specific tools highlighted in the videotape will include:

  • Combating verbal harassment in classrooms and hallways
  • Dealing with bullying, vandalism, physical violence and name-calling
  • Initiating dialogue about GLBT issues with students and faculty
  • Creating "Safe Zones" within schools
  • Displaying signs of tolerance/alliance in classrooms and offices
  • Offering sensitivity workshops for students and staff
  • Creating GSAs and other student groups

This program will be a valuable teaching tool for:

  • Teachers
  • Administrators
  • Counselors
  • Schools of Education
  • Professional Development