A variety of resources are available for students, educators, administrators and parents.
* Local support services for students and parents can be found here.
Curriculum Guides to Purchase for Teachers and Parents
The Safe Schools Project has published the following curriculum guides for teachers:
- Inclusive Sex Education: A Comprehensive Sex Education Guide for Teachers
- LGBT History Curriculum Guide: 11th Grade
- LGBT History Curriculum Guide: 8th Grade
Safe Schools Project Documents for Educators
- Guide for Starting the Conversation / LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency
- LGBTQ Cultural Proficiency Assessment
- Guide for Teachers: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students, A Primer
- Inclusive Language to Use
- Policies and Practices for Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
- LGBTQ+ School Climate Index for Schools
- Safe Schools Project Quick History Lessons for LGBTQ+ Student Clubs
- Other resources (websites, lesson plans, podcasts, books, etc.)
For Students
Santa Cruz County Office of Education Student Support Services Resource Directory
Santa Cruz Diversity Center Youth Programs
Santa Cruz Queer Youth Task Force
Santa Cruz Queer Youth Leadership Awards (Nominate someone! or Read about past nominees)
Santa Cruz Safe Schools Project Contacts
Santa Cruz County (Santa Cruz and Watsonville) Mental Health Services
Watsonville Mental Health Services – Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance
Santa Cruz Mental Health Services – Encompass
Crisis Helpline for LGBTQ Youth – The Trevor Project
About Coming Out
Applying to College
Finding Safe and Inclusive Colleges – Campus Pride Index
Best Colleges Guide for LGBTQ Students
College Scholarships and Organizations for LGBTQ – Affordable Colleges
Best Colleges Guide to Scholarships
For Educators
Teaching Queer History in the Classroom – Santa Cruz and California
Your Role as an Educator
Back to School Guide for Educators
Your Role as a Librarian
Changing the Game: The GLSEN Sports Project
Developing a Welcoming Classroom
Professional Development Tools
GLSEN Educator Resources
Ready, Set, Respect! Elementary Toolkit
Lesson Plans
Bullying Guidelines for Teachers
Action Steps for Educators to Take to Stop Bullying
Warning Signs to Identify Children in Need
Gender and Children: A Place to Begin
Working with LGBT Students of Color: A Guide of Educators
Using LGBT-Inclusive Children’s Books and Looking at Gender Through Books
Bibliographies — Books to Engage Students
A Bibliography of Resources for Educators and Parents/Guardians
Gender Identity and Children: Books to Help Adults Understand
A Note on Mother’s and Father’s Day
For School Administrators
Family Education and Community Building
Responding to Some Concerns About Being LGBT-Inclusive
School Climate Assessment
Linking Welcoming Schools to Academic Standards
Gender Identity and Children: Books to Help Adults Understand
Changing the Game: The GLSEN Sports Project
For Parents, Guardians, and Caring Adults
Your Role as a Parent or Caring Adult
Your Role as an LGBT Parent or Caring Adult
Working with School Boards
Gender Identity and Children: Books to Help Adults Understand
General Safe School Resources
- Welcoming Schools Guide: An Introduction to Welcoming Schools
- Why Welcoming Schools Are Important
- Welcoming Schools and Similar Initiatives, etc.
- Definitions for Students and Adults
- Resources on Gender Identity and Children
- Resources on Gender Roles and Stereotyping
- Questions Students May Ask and Possible Responses About LGBT People
- GLSEN’s Safe Space Kit: Be an ALLY to LGBT Youth!
- Bibliographies — Books to Engage Students
- California Safe Schools Coalition: “The CA Safe Schools Coalition is proud of [its] research briefs documenting issues of school safety for students in California schools and steps schools can take to improve school safety for all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) students.”
Resources on Bullying
Effects of Bullying
Bullying by the Numbers
Bullying and LGBT Youth
Resources on Bullying
Resources on Cyberbullying
More Resources and Project Partners
Toolkit: Eyes on Bullying
Bullying Guidelines for Teachers
Action Steps for Educators
Bullying: Tips for Students
Toolkit for Youth Leaders
Think Before You Act — Handout
Teasing or Bullying — Handout
What Do You Say to “That’s So Gay?”
Activity: Bullying and LGBT Students
Pertinent Safe School State and Federal Laws
Federal Laws
Seth’s Law Fact Sheet (AB 9)
California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act Fact Sheet (AB 537)
California Gender Non-Discrimination Act Fact Sheet (AB 887)
California FAIR Education Act (SB 48) Fact Sheet
SB 71 Fact Sheet (California)
Know Your Court System
Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Safe-Schools Issues
For more on safe-school-related transgender and gender-nonconforming issues, please visit the Queer Youth Task Force’s Transgender Teen Project website.
Recursos en español / Resources in Spanish
GLBT History Month is Every October. See our monthly events.
Help make schools safer for LGBTIQ youth and their allies by honoring Queer History Month!
- GLBT History Month, aka Queer History Month, was founded by Rodney Wilson in 1994.
- As a High school teacher, he hoped to address and educate on LGBT issues and contributions, information that history text books failed to provide.
- October was chosen as history month, in part because of the already established and widely celebrated “National Coming Out Day” that happens in October 11.
- LGBT History Month is intended to encourage awareness, conversation and openness about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, especially among educators and in school settings.
- Consider celebrating Queer History Month at your school, community organization and/or business!
Ideas for Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month (October)!
Events for the 2016-17 School Year
Ready to Print Icon Table Tents
Additional Ready to Print Icon Posters and Bios for 2016
Ready to Print 2016 Poster
Ready to Print Promotional Display
Ready to Print Icon List
Ready to Print 10th Anniversary Poster
Add “LGBT Icon” to your Website, Blog or Social Networking Profile
Yearly Events
National Coming Out Day-Oct 11th
History of Coming out
Spirit Day-Oct 20th
Take a Stand Against Bullying
ALLY Week
Club Resources
Celebrate LGBT History Month with GLAAD
Information and Resource Links