This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I work in an alternative high school in New York City. Many of our students are older and come from environments that did not meet their needs as learners. We strive to create a school community that recognizes the myriad gifts and knowledge that each students brings to the classroom.
We also pride ourselves on creating a safe space for LGBTQ students.
Our Gay Straight Alliance is large and active. They often initiate brilliant ideas for creating a more inclusive school and lead projects (like an anti-prom) that gets the whole student body excited and involved.
Most of our young students have very adult responsibilities and struggle economically and, in turn, academically. But they also have profound understanding of their own experiences and extraordinary insight into the world around them. And their energy is the stuff that movements are made of.
My Project
The goal of this year's Gay Straight Alliance is to build a library that celebrates young LGBTQ people of color and their communities. Students say that too often the books they see on the shelves focus on the lives of straight characters and reinforce traditional gender roles and norms. My students would like to see more books that reflect their own experiences as LGBTQ and ally youth. They want (and need) stories that allow them to see themselves and celebrate themselves as visible and vital members of society.
A library complete with books that celebrate LGBTQ youth and their communities would go a long way to meeting that need.
Our goal this year is to stock up on as many books as possible that reflect our beloved community of LGBTQ students of color. Many of the books we've picked were recommended to us by the students themselves. With these books, we will launch reading circles and writing workshops in the Student Learning Center where our GSA meets every Thursday during lunch.
It's important to note that this won't just be a library of books that feature LGBTQ youth of color. After reading so many stories and seeing so many films about tragic LGBTQ characters, students realized that there is not enough recognition out there of the joy they experience in their day to day lives. And in a society that often makes them feel afraid or defeated, joy is a very powerful tool for overcoming adversity. It almost becomes a form of resistance. So celebrate with us and help us to provide our students with the love, support, hope, and representation that they need to live fuller and more joyful lives.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Jones and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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