At The Attic, the belief in the power of young people to transform their surroundings is a core tenet of the organization’s work. Youth voice is woven into all of The Attic’s community education work, with LGBTQ youth voices a featured educational component in each workshop provided by The Attic’s Bryson Institute. However, in their lives outside of The Attic, a substantial percentage of Attic youth attend under resourced and over-stretched neighborhood schools, and regularly report fear, anxiety, and stress regarding their LGBTQ identities at these schools. The Bryson Institute’s aim is to launch meaningful conversation in the spaces that need it the most.

The Bryson Institute of The Attic Youth Center will involve a core group of LGBTQ youth to provide trainings at Philadelphia area schools on how to best support LGBTQ youth in school environments. An Attic staff trainer and a team of two Attic youth panelists will train students, staff, and/or faculty at middle and high schools throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding region on best practices for supporting LGBTQ youth in schools. The training will include interactive activities and age-appropriate material that students find both engaging and accessible. The training will also emphasize the following questions: How do we relate to each other? – When I say this word, how does it make my peers feel? If I’m upset at school, who should I talk to? – as well as how we understand each other – What does LGBTQ mean anyhow? Why does it matter to me? All trainings are adapted to optimally fit each school and grade level. This project will support 10 trainings.

Through this project, The Attic will train students, staff, and teachers at schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, with a particular emphasis on the Philadelphia School District. This project will impact the safety, well-being, and school retention of thousands of LGBTQ students in the region who may experience bullying and harassment at school.

Community member details not available yet.

Direct Impact of Your Project

Training has a significant impact on participants. As a result of training, participants:
1.Develop a greater awareness and understanding of LGBTQ youth, and will learn ways to take action steps to support LGBTQ youth in a school environment
2.Learn how to take action in their school environment to reduce the bullying and harassment that many LGBTQ students face
3.Understand the effects of harassment and bullying on a student’s mental health and well-being
4.Learn about resources within their school/ community that address the needs of LGBTQ youth

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

Each school has an average of approximately 500 students, and this project will fund trainings in 10 schools.