The Safe Schools Program brings community speakers to classrooms throughout New York City to share their personal experience of LGBTQ loved ones in their lives, or being an LGBTQ person themselves. Even remotely, students need to hear your story!
Before the pandemic, PFLAG NYC had brought the Safe Schools Program into schools in every part of New York City. Now online, we have the chance to be in every single school! Since March, when schools moved online, we have brought all our programs with students and educators into virtual schools.
Volunteer with the Safe Schools Program!
Community speakers make the Safe Schools Program powerful, because it is unlike any other experience students have. Ordinary people from the community — parents, other relatives, and LGBT people themselves — share their own stories of having an LGBTQ loved one, or of being LGBT themselves. These personal stories make the Safe Schools Program uniquely powerful in reaching students. As one educator told us, “The event was absolutely fabulous! Students commented that you never hear parents’ reactions and family stories. It was a new perspective for them. It was a really great program and led to great conversations!”
In the 2020-21 school year even as students return to school part-time, we will continue to be in virtual classrooms. We always need more volunteers to be speakers in the program and share their story with school communities, and now you can do it without leaving home! Whether you are the parent of an LGBTQ person, someone with an LGBTQ loved one, or an LGBTQ person yourself, your story can help others learn what it means to be LGBTQ and help change the climate in schools for young people growing up, LGBTQ or not. You may not think your story is remarkable, but the most seemingly ordinary stories told honestly and proudly can spark revelations and change behavior.
Training Workshops for New and Current Speakers
For new volunteers, join us on October 10 for our next New Speaker Orientation Training. Learn how sharing your personal story can open dialogue, inspire students, and help schools make sure they are safe and affirming for LBGTQ students. Your story could save a life.
If you’re already involved, come to our Skill Building Training on October 15 to brush up on your storytelling skills and, most importantly, to learn how things have changed in Remote Learning. Telling your story to students in a virtual classroom is different, and we are here to help you get used to this new environment.
And we’ve got an exciting addition to the Safe Schools Program that’s new for everyone: programs for Elementary school students! This brings us finally into all grade levels, kindergarten through high school! Want to be a part of our Elementary School team? Then come to an Elementary Team Training on October 29 or November 14.
If you have always wanted to explore volunteering with the Safe Schools Program, here’s your opportunity! Here’s the full schedule of upcoming workshops:
New Volunteer Training:
Saturday, October 10 – 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Skill Building Training:
Thursday, October 15 – 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Elementary Team Trainings:
Thursday, October 29 – 5:00–6:30 p.m. OR
Saturday, November 14 – 10:00–11:30 a.m.
All these workshops are taking place on Zoom. If you would like to sign up to attend, please register here now for any of these workshops.
For more information, or if you have any questions, send an email to safeschools@pflagnyc.org.