Welcoming Schools: Including the LGBT Community
Keene, N.H. 10/12/2010 - Kim Westheimer will speak on “Welcoming Schools: Including the LGBT Community,” as part of the Diverse Voices from the Field program at Keene State College on Wednesday, October 13.
Westheimer will speak at 4 p.m. and will repeat her talk at 7:30 p.m. in the Mabel Brown Room of the L.P. Young Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Westheimer is the director of Welcoming Schools for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and an adjunct faculty member at Wheelock College in Boston. She is the former director of the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students at the Massachusetts Department of Education. The groundbreaking work of the Massachusetts Department of Education was the focus of a book Westheimer co- authored with Jeff Perrotti: When the Drama Club is Not Enough: Lessons from the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students.
As an education consultant, Westheimer has led interactive workshops, designed research, and written materials related to school climate, sexual orientation, race, gender, and community dialogue. She has consulted with organizations including The American Psychological Association, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Groundspark, The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and New York Cares. Awards that she has received recognizing her work include a Health and Human Services research grant; Harvard University Certificates of Distinction in Teaching; an Honor Award for Service from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network of Boston; and a Pride and Passion Award from Greater Boston Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
The Diverse Voices from the Field project, which is organized and overseen by faculty from the Education Department, is dedicated to bringing speakers who represent diversity in education to Keene State College, with the goal of improving the preparation of teachers for 21st century public education in the United States. Special effort is made to involve members of the Education faculty and teacher education students at the undergraduate and graduate level. The Teacher Education Program strives to prepare education professionals who explore the dynamic nature of teaching and learning, demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors that meet high standards, understand the world from multiple perspectives, and contribute to a just and equitable world.
Westheimer’s talk represents 1.5 hours of professional development for educators.
For more information about Diverse Voices from the Field, this event, or accommodations for disabilities, please contact the Education Department at 603-358-2301.
