REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

May 18, 2010
Montecassino Banquet Centre, Toronto
Cost - $209/person

"One incident of gender-based violence or homophobia in our schools is too many. We have a collective responsibility to take action." - Former Education Minister Kathleen Wynne

Spend a day examining this very important social issue and learn practical ways to integrate queer issues into schools.

Presentations include:

I) Opening Remarks
Stu Auty, President, Canadian Safe School Network
Tony Pontes, Director of Education, Peel District School Board

II) Keynote Presentation
Through the Eyes of LGBT Youth: First Steps To Ensuring We All Belong
Presented by: Marc Simcox, Associated Youth Services of Peel
This presentation will provide an introductory insight into the lives of LGBT youth and the challenges and barriers they may face in educational settings. An opportunity to become familiar with terminology and to put ourselves in the shoes of LGBT youth in our schools will also be provided.

III) We All Belong: Hear My Story
Hear from a panel of students, as they share their experiences living as an LGBT youth.

IV) Balancing Rights in the School Context
Presented by: Giselle Basanta , Legal Counsel, Toronto D.S.B.

V) Workshop Rotation #1 - Setting the Tone: Moral & Ethical Issues
A) Presented by: OSSTF

B) Presented by: ETFO

C) “That’s So Gay!” - Beyond Homophobia by Building Inclusive Communities within Catholic Schools
Presented by David Szollosy & Kevin Godin, OECTA and Helen Kennedy, EGALE Canada
Through indentifying and examing obstacles and reflective practice concerning diversity issues in Catholic schools, participants will explore supports and resources for creating safe, caring and inclusive environments for GLBTT students. Specific concentration will be placed on the newest Ministry Document, Realizing the Promise of Diversity, and how it dovetails with the goal of creating inclusive communities.

VI) Workshop Rotation #2
2-A) LGBT 101 - The Basics for Staff
Presented by: Brooke Young, OK2BME Program Coordinator
In this interactive workshop participants will gain introductory knowledge of LGBTQ issues including: terms, statistics, myths, key concepts, LGBTQ experiences, making safe spaces and how to be an ally. Take-away activities, concrete strategies and clips from a new training resource video Out Loud, created by OK2BME and the Waterloo Region D.S.B. will be included.

2-B) LGBT 201 - Homophobia and Beyond: An Intersectional Approach
Presented by: Marc Simcox, Associated Youth Services of Peel
This workshop will address the intersections of race and sexual orientation. It will explore recent examples in the media and how racism continues to fuel many of the oppressions. The concept and discussion of intersectionality will be situated in an educational context.

2-C) Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth
Presented by: Deepa Ahluwalia, Waterloo Region D.S.B. and Corinne Davison, Ottawa-Carleton D.S.B.
This presentation will assist participants in creating safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students and allies, as well as create dialogue and build awareness about the safety concerns of LGBTQ youth, and help participants to create, support and sustain gay-straight student alliances in their schools.

VII) Workshop Rotation #3
3-A) Infusing/Building the Curriculum with LGBT Issues

3-B) Keeping Our Kids Safe At School - Bill 157: Advantages and Risks
Presented by J Wallace, GSA Facilitator, Halton D.S.B.
The promise of Bill 157 is that it will keep our kids safe at school - but what will it really mean for students who are LGBTQ? for students from LGBTQ families? for students who are not LGBTQ but who are on the receiving end of homophobia? We will quickly review what the reality of homophobia in schools is and how Bill 157 and other recent ministry documents may change staff responses. We’ll cover what every student should know about Bill 157; from what’s in the bill, to making sure staff "become aware" of serious incidents, to influencing whether or not parents are informed by the school if the student was a victim. We will close with the challenges that remain, and how to ensure that we really are doing our best to ensure student safety.

3-C) Building a Board Wide Gender-Based Violence Prevention Strategy That Works
Presented by: Ken Jeffers, Coordinator, Gender-Based Violence Prevention, Toronto D.S.B.
This presentation will introduce participants to a system-wide approach adopted by the Toronto District School Board in addressing all areas of gender-based violence. Presenters will illustrate connections to legislation, policy, staffing and programs and demonstrate how to incorporate gender-based violence prevention planning that works both at individual schools and the system as a whole.

VIII) The Politics and Possibilities of Addressing LGBTQI Issues in Education
Presented by: Lance McCready, OISE
This workshop provides a space for educators to explore the micro-politics of working around LGBTQI issues in the education system. Participants will discuss the possibilities and limitations of integrating queer issues and advocating for queer youth in schools, where this work may or may not be recognized as an important dimension of educational equity and social justice.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN:
On-line registration: To register you must have an account. If you already have an account, click here to log-in. To create a new account click here. Once you have logged in, click the ’Conference Registration’ tab.

Alternatively you may register by fax or mail by downloading and printing the registration form.