Everyone has a gender, and every one has a gender story. Before we can create environments that are inclusive to those who identity as transgender, we have to look at our own ideas about gender and gender stereotypes.
We all have ideas of what boys and girls, or men and women, should be. We have certain rules that we follow and expect others to follow. But we break those rules all the time. However, we only seem to notice and feel uncomfortable when a transgender person breaks a lot of the rules and throws our expectations out the window.
That’s why we start our training by thinking about stereotypes, separating myths from facts, and looking at what statistics tell us about discrimination and its affects on the transgender population.
Other training programs can list best practices and offer suggestions for limiting your legal liabilities. But without a core understanding of what it means to be transgender, and why everyone benefits from an environment that respects all gender identities and expressions, your staff and families of other students may still struggle at creating and supporting a truly inclusive space.
Our training sets you up for success, by first helping everyone on your team want to become transgender-inclusive, and then by giving you the tools to make it happen.
You will learn best practices for:
You will also learn about:
Keep reading to learn about our 10 Modules or contact us now at [email protected] or 1-800-513-1715 with your questions.
ALL SCHOOLS AND ALL GRADE LEVELS CAN BENEFIT!
Because gender identity awareness begins in preschool-aged children, and gender stereotypes are obvious to kids of all ages, it's never too early to start talking about gender concepts with children.
No matter the grade level of your school, you may have a gender-variant or transgender child in attendance. Our training addresses gender issues at all grade levels and offers appropriate language for conversations, reading suggestions, and lessons that help students of all ages understand and respect one another.
We’ve designed our training program so that it can be used on its own. Schedule training to fit your staff’s schedule and needs. For example, everyone can benefit from the first 5 modules and could be trained in half a day. Administrative staff, counselors, nurses, teachers, and coaches can each benefit from watching other select modules to develop policy and teaching strategies, as each position requires. Because bathrooms are often the most controversial subject, its module can be watched and reviewed as many times as necessary to foster understanding by everyone on staff. And substitute teachers can benefit from watching the short bonus module that covers the basics of gender-inclusion, using preferred names and correct pronouns, and maintaining a student’s privacy.
But we also know that some schools will still need personalized services. If, for instance, you are here because you have a student planning to transition and stay in the same class, you may have questions you would like answered in person right away. Or if you expect negative reaction from others in the community, you may want to schedule on-the-ground training for the entire staff or have someone facilitate a public meeting with parents or community members. We have options for you, too!
Our training goes beyond telling you how to cover your legal bases. We actually teach about gender diversity, inclusion, and why supporting transgender students benefits all students. Without a solid understanding of what a transgender student and their family faces, many schools fall short in being truly supportive. It’s easy to worry about community backlash and ask a trans student to make accommodations to make everyone else feel better. But that is actually detrimental to everyone involved.
With our training, everyone in your school will learn why it’s important to support gender non-conforming and trans students, the dangers of not being supportive, and will be more likely to embrace non-discriminatory policies.
Of course! Even though the basic training is very thorough and should give you all the information you need to set up new policies and train your staff, we know that at any moment, circumstances can change and you can find yourself having doubts. Maybe you have a student who wants to transition in the middle of a school year and you’d like help with a school-wide assembly. Maybe you have a family who isn’t happy with updated non-discrimination policies and contacts local media or challenges the School Board.
If you find your school in need of additional help, we don’t want you to feel alone. Contact us about adding consultation services billed at an hourly rate or adding a traveling fee for in-person sessions. You can reach us at [email protected] or 1-800-513-1715.
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Gender Inc’s founder, Debi Jackson, is a nationally-known advocate for transgender rights. She is the mother of a transgender child and frequently travels to speak about trans kids. She has worked with schools and universities across the US and Canada to offer “Trans 101” classes, school-wide training, and policy development consultation, and with students ranging in age from 5-25.
Through her advocacy, she works with esteemed organizations such as PFLAG, the Human Rights Campaign, Gender Odyssey, and the Trevor Project. Her involvement with these organizations, as well as her personal connection to several thousand transgender adults and families with transgender children has enhanced her knowledge and understanding of trans-inclusivity needs and solutions.
She has developed this training program from her own lecture series, work with school administrations, and support provided to numerous families.
I work as a student leader at Queen’s University in Canada, representing students and working to create a campus environment within which students of all identities and communities can feel safe, supported, and at their best. I first became acquainted with the work and passion of Debi Jackson like many others through an online viral video. The speech Debi gave in this video moved me greatly on an issue that I felt was vastly underrepresented on my campus. After seeing the video, I decided to reach out to Debi to see if she would be willing to come speak to our students, and the rest is history.
Debi was an astoundingly poignant speaker, presenting an incredibly complicated set of concepts and issues in a way that everyone could very easily understand. Debi very clearly understood the importance of making sure the information she was presenting was accessible and accurate, and she evidently did a great deal of homework and preparation to exceed my expectations in those areas. Yes, she’s the parent of one trans* child, but she has the knowledge and expertise to speak eloquently and confidently on a wide array of trans* concepts and issues. She kindly and patiently answered questions from the audience without hesitation. One student in particular approached me after the presentation and told me that she had attended without any idea of what to expect, and that she was blown away by the thoroughness of Debi’s work. She told me she was going to go home and read more about these issues because she was inspired. I can only imagine more in the audience felt the same way.
Bringing Debi to our campus to speak to our students was one of the best decisions I’ve made in this job. Anyone who is looking to have trans* issues discussed and broken down in plain language that anyone can understand and interact with would be well-served to work with Debi. An inspiring professional and delightful human being, I’d recommend her to anyone!
Debi gave a professional presentation with excellent balance. Scholarly perspectives and scientific findings were given accurate and thorough coverage while personal anecdotes made the information relatable and accessible. Debi’s passion is palpable, and even for those who do not understand transgender issues, it is difficult not to be moved by a mother’s fierce desire to advocate for and defend her child.