We are taking applications (and donations) to bring our one-of-a-kind program, Creating Bias-Free Classrooms, to as many Southern California schools as possible. We are equiping teachers with the ability to end homophobia in their classrooms. You could bring this program to your school or district. Find out more and apply below.
Creating Bias Free Classrooms is an effective, innovative professional development program that uses live, improvisational theater to equip K-12 educators to build inclusive learning environments for students targeted by homophobia. Led by anti-bullying experts, this dynamic training workshop transports teachers into a realistic classroom laboratory--brought to life by trained high school student actors--in which teachers try out new anti-bullying strategies and build the confidence to create safer schools for all. Each 4-hour workshop combines these realistic theatrical moments with skill development and professionally facilitated dialogue, offering a uniquely multifaceted training approach. At the end of each session, teachers hear directly from a panel of LGBT students (and children of same-sex couples), who discuss how teachers' behaviors have supported or undermined their sense of classroom safety.
Creating Bias Free Classrooms was built upon the belief that the arts can play a critical role in building empathy, highlighting social concerns, and imagining a more compassionate tomorrow. The stories, voices, and scenarios presented in the Creating Bias Free Classrooms program are inspired by years of interviews, group dialogues, and experiences with youth and teachers.
Creating Bias-Free Classrooms is a program developed by Encompass which uses professional youth actors and live, improvisational theater to equip educators to build inclusive learning environments for students targeted by homophobia.
The training session blends guided self-refection, facilitated dialogue and experiential learning, offering a highly effective, multi-faceted training approach.
Teachers witness a live classroom scene where homophobia is taking place acted out by professional youth actors. Participants then discuss what happened, and what strategies they would employ in this situation, and give those strategies to the actor playing the teacher. The youth actors then return to the room to repeat the scene but the teacher behaves differently depending on the suggestions from the training participants. The youth actors improvise their reactions based on their knowledge of their characters and the actions of the teacher.
Participants see in real time with real youth how their actions in the classroom can affect a situation. The student actors also share with the participants how their characters felt throughout the simulation.
Most importantly, Creating Bias-Free Classrooms encourages teachers to learn from one another. During each training session, information is shared between the training facilitator and the teachers-and between teachers themselves.
Is your school/district in Southern California?
Will you be able to commit at least 20 of your educators to this four-hour training?
The application has two parts. The second part includes submitting a video describing why you want to bring this program to your school.
Submit a video (four minutes or less) answering the following: Why does your school want or need this program?
Examples of how you could answer this question: You can include information about your school's commitment to addressing bias and increasing safety and inclusivity. Alternatively, you could speak to why your faculty or staff could use more training in this area, share any difficulties your school has had in this area, or discuss how you believe the program would benefit your student body. Feel free to get creative!
The video will be shown to funders who may sponsor bringing the program to your school.
If you cannot submit a video (or simply prefer not to for any reason), there is a written submission option as well.
You will submit an application that has two parts. The first part has some simple questions, the second part includes answering the question of why you want or need this program in a video or written submission.
Completed submissions will be shown to funders and to our network via email and social media in order to pay for the costs of bringing the program to your school.
If you have any questions about applying, please contact kevinblake@westernjustice.org
If you’re interested in funding a school, please contact teresa@westernjustice.org
