Fairness West Virginia is proud to officially launch our new Safe & Healthy Schools Initiative! With this exciting new program, we’re going to dramatically expand our work to build a culture of LGBTQ inclusivity in schools across the Mountain State.
Our team will work directly with school leaders to combat the bullying, harassment, and discrimination that LGBTQ youth experience. LGBTQ youth living in West Virginia face some of the highest rates of bullying in the entire country. To improve the many grim statistics, we’re rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.
With this program, we’ll train educators on comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for supporting LGBTQ students — strategies they can implement right now. We’ll also help school districts adopt policies and best practices that make our classrooms safer for all students.
Have questions? Reach out to us a SafeSchools@fairnesswv.org.
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Did you know?
✱ 70 percent of WV teachers we surveyed in 2020 had never received any training on how to support their LGBTQ students
✱ One in five lesbian, gay, or bisexual high school students in WV skip school out of fear for their safety.
✱ 61 percent of transgender youth in the United States are bullied at school (data specific to WV is currently not available)
✱ LGBTQ youth who have at least one accepting adult in their lives are 40 percent less likely to attempt suicide
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