Dr. Catherine Taylor
WINNIPEG, MB -A national study spearheaded by The University of Winnipeg in partnership with The Manitoba Teachers’ Society called the Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ*-inclusive education was launched across Canada today (*lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, Two-Spirit, queer and questioning). Every national, provincial, and territorial teacher organization in English Canada has signed on to support the project.
“We are very excited to see this level of participation which is clear evidence that teachers across the country are moving strongly to improve the school climate for LGBTQ students, students with LGBTQ parents, and other students who suffer the toxic effects of homophobia” said Dr. Catherine Taylor, Professor of Rhetoric & Communications and Director of Academic Programs, Faculty of Education at The University of Winnipeg.
The Every Teacher Project is designed to identify and make widely available the collective expertise that exists among Canadian teachers on inclusive education practices for sexual and gender minority students. The project will explore what educators think about the climate of Canada’s schools for LGBTQ students; which approaches to inclusion seem to work, and in what contexts, and which don’t; what teachers need in terms of supports in doing this work, and what holds educators back.
“It’s imperative that we create schools that welcome and celebrate diversity, and recognize it not as a liability or a problem, but a strength.The Manitoba Teachers’ Society is incredibly proud to be taking the lead on this project with UWinnipeg, and just as proud that every English language teacher organization in the country has signed on,” said Paul Olson, President, The Manitoba Teachers’ Society. “From coast to coast to coast, teachers are standing up for all their kids — not just those that fall into some comfortable majority demographic. This study will be vital to informing that work.”
Dr. Taylor also served as lead researcher in partnership with Egale Canada Human Rights Trust for the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia and Transphobia in Canadian Schools. That three-year study, which concluded last year, involved 3,607 Canadian teens and found that public schools are a bleak place for LGBTQ students. That study found that 21% of LGBTQ students reported being physically harassed or assaulted while almost two thirds – 64% – felt unsafe at school.
“We learned from that study that teachers’ efforts to support LGBTQ students can make a big difference,” said Taylor. “But LGBTQ-inclusive educators often work in isolation, or in small clusters, without the benefit of the nation-wide teaching community’s experiences, insights, and expertise. That knowledge needs to be made available throughout the school system, from Nunavut to British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, and everywhere in between. That is what the Every Teacher Project sets out to do.”
Participating Teacher Organizations:
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Yukon Teachers’ Association, Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association, Nunavut Teachers’ Association, British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, Alberta Teachers’ Association, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Manitoba Teachers’ Society, Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, Ontario Teachers’ Federation, Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union, Prince Edward Island Teachers’ Federation, and Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association.
The Every Teacher project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Communications Officer, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
