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Audience: College students (all levels including undergrad and graduate), campus educators (all roles, including professors, lecturers, staff, administrators, board members, teacher’s assistants), K-12 educators (all roles including teachers, administrators, staff, school board members, volunteers), customized to your educational setting.

 

Value: Develop effective skills for creating an affirming campus and improving self-care. Enhance wellbeing and focus by fostering meaningful connections with campus colleagues.

 

Attacks on affirming educational settings and curriculum content, and the tragedy of indigenous trans, nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict’s passing after being beaten unconscious in a high school restroom, are reminders that there is still much work to be done to ensure that LGBTQ students can safely access an education. Now more than ever, helping marginalized students thrive in their educational experience is powerful work. 

 

Two days after Nex passed, the Lunar New Year began. The Year of the Dragon symbolizes a time of change. What seemed impossible before, becomes possible. Let’s honor Nex Benedict by creating an LGBTQ-affirming campus, developing effective skills for self care, and enhancing campus wellbeing. 

 

Get ready to celebrate yourself, your work, and your campus. Your fierce courage is appreciated!

 

Takeaways

In this inspiring speech you will learn:

 

Key elements of an LGBTQ-affirming campus

How to use the BARE Solution to recover from challenging moments

How to use creative expression to remind yourself, students, and colleagues of their brilliance and resilience

How to use the Heathy TEAM Approach for building campus wellness