This project, co-funded by the European Commission, deals with the problems LGBTI and gender non-conforming students face in schools in the 4 participant countries (Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria), and aims at training teachers and guide schools on how to implement LGBTI and gender inclusive policies. Teachers play a vital part in working towards a safe school environment. Therefore, several European NGOs are specialized in teacher training courses that help schools to work towards a gender inclusive and LGBTI safe school environment. A lot of these courses are short sessions. Their impact in a school remains limited if there is no time for a decent follow up. This project aims to give a more structured and more evidenced based approach when guiding schools towards a more LGBTI inclusive school environment.

Aims:

•  To increase knowledge of teachers on how to include LGBTI topics in classes and how to react to LGBTI bullying in school.
• To provide a more systematic and evidenced based approach on how schools can achieve an LGBTI inclusive school environment by developing the inclusive school cycle with a school inclusion scan.
• To create safer and more inclusive LGBTI schools where LGBTI students are more open to report harassment and bullying. In the long run this will lead to better mental well-being of all students because there is more knowledge and there are more policies in place on how to work towards a safe and inclusive school environment for everyone. The project results will impact the different target groups of the project: LGBTI students, LGBTI teachers, Teachers, Schools, Policy makers, NGO’s who focus on teacher, training partners

Activities of the project:

• Gathering data of good practices in Europe on LGBTI teacher trainings and inclusive school policies.
• Develop and test the inclusive school cycle program that includes a school inclusion scan. This scan will contain 2 questionnaires: one for students and one for teachers about present LGBTI or anti bullying policies, current good practices in the school and the overall inclusiveness.
• Develop 6 train the trainer (teacher training) courses and 2 guided meeting scripts on school policy. The 6 train the trainer courses will be developed based on the outcome of the first objective with special attention for transgender and intersex inclusive school policies
• Develop 2 e-learning courses
• Develop the inclusive school cycle toolkit. The inclusive school cycle toolkit is a toolkit where all the information is available on how to use the cycle in your own school or in your own NGO that does teacher training. This toolkit will include the school inclusion scan, a step by step script of the inclusive school cycle and information on the different teacher training courses.
• Test the inclusive school cycle program with the developed teacher training courses in 8 schools divided by 4 different European countries with different regional realities.
• Develop a poster campaign targeted at schools to stimulate them to work on a LGBTI inclusive school environment.
• Organize an international conference on LGBTI inclusive schools to disseminate the toolkit, the inclusive school cycle and the school inclusion scan to policy makers, teachers, LGBTI school activists, EU policymakers etc.

Durarion: 24 months (November 2020 – November 2022)

Partners:

Cavaria VZW (Belgium)

ILGA Portugal (Portugal)

Centro risorse LGBTI (Italy)

Bilitis Foundation (Bulgaria)

Universitα degli Studi di Brescia (Italy)