Annual Report Card 2010/11 About Out in Schools Out in Schools is a unique high school outreach initiative garnering critical acclaim from educators across British Columbia. The Out in Schools program harnesses the powerful medium of film and video to engage youth and educators on issues related to homophobia and violence. Through our film presentations, facilitated workshops and youth filmmaking initiatives, Out in Schools is working toward the promotion of safer and more diverse communities, free from discrimination and bullying. Achievements 2010/11 School Year Photo Highlights presented facilitators . ls oo h Sc in Out aii, BC Haida Gw students in to Guildford Park Secondary students from Surrey, BC celebrate their victory in this year s’ video PSA competition. Out in Schools re ached more than 8000 students this pa st year. Classroom Participation The Out in Schools staff and facilitator team increased our capacity by 20% this past year, delivering 81 workshop presentations, reaching more than 8000 youth across BC. Out in Schools doubled the number of rural presentations we made this year in communities outside of Metro Vancouver. By growing our Rural Outreach Initiative we are able to expand our reach beyond the city and present to many more young people in places where there are few, if any Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) resources. In total, we reached more than 2000 young people living in smaller communities including, Nelson, Williams Lake, Haida Gwaii, Chilliwack, Slocan Valley, 100 Mile House, Canim Lake First Nations Reservation, Maple Ridge, Kamloops, Kaslo and Salt Spring Island. The Out in Schools Teachers Learning Resource Guide was developed as an important tool for educators to address LGBT issues in schools. There is currently no mandatory curriculum in BC schools directed at LGBT issues. Our Resource Guide supports Ministry prescribed curricular objectives and includes DVDs, student work units and achievement indicators. Out in Schools is focused on reaching out to marginalized youth. We delivered workshops to numerous alternative education programs, as well as to several organizations who support youth at-risk. Works Well with Others Ross Johnstone, Director of Education for Out in Schools, presented to preservice teachers at UBC, as well as provided training to staff at Worksafe BC, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, the British Columbia Teachers Federation, the International Foster Care Organization, the Haida Gwaii Museum and the BC Small and Rural Schools Association. Jen Sung, Youth Outreach Coordinator for Out in Schools, was invited to speak at the Day of Purple Vigil held in commemoration of the LGBT youth who committed suicide this past year. Jen also presented at this year’s Dare to Stand Out Youth Education Conference, National Media Democracy Day and the Vancouver Gay-Straight Alliance Networking Session. Out in Schools acknowledges the importance of forging positive relationships with outside organizations in working toward making schools safer for all students. We continue to build strong partnerships with The Vancouver School Board, The BC Teachers Federation, Qmunity, student-run Gay Straight Alliances, the Pride in Education Network, as well as with school districts and post-secondary institutions across BC. Extra-Curricular Participation The 4th annual Anti-Homophobia Student Public Service Announcement Competition was a great success with more video submissions than ever before, and we are seeing more participation from younger students, prompting us to include an elementary category for the first time. This initiative is run in collaboration with the Vancouver School Board, the BC Teachers Federation and the Pride in Education Network. The winners are selected by a youth jury and the videos will premiere at the Annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival this August. Our annual NO HATE, Anti-Homophobia Youth Filmmaking Bootcamp ran July 18 -22 at the Roundhouse Arts & Recreation Centre, and is free for youth aged 14 - 25. Making Friends Through forging fabulous friendships, Out in Schools has been able to strengthen and grow the important relationships that raise the profile of our program, and help expand our education initiatives. Principal Partners Media Partner Honour Roll Credit Roll
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