More information
Description
The aim of the project is a safe and inclusive school environment for LGBT+ students in Estonia. With the support of the project, study materials will be created and seminars will be organized for education professionals. In addition, an awareness raising campaign will be conducted that will help people better understand LGBT+ youth.
As a result of the project, education professionals will be better aware of LGBT+ related topics, understand why it is necessary to include these topics in educational work, and better prepared to discuss these topics in school and in public; organizations and institutions in the field of education will be informed on the topics of LGBT+ and LGBT+ youth and the cooperation between different institutions and organizations will improve; general awareness on LGBT+ topics will increase in society; the competence of the staff of the Estonian LGBT Association as trainers will increase and cooperation with stakeholder organizations and institutions will increase. Final beneficiaries of the project are LGBT+ youth whose school environment is more inclusive and safer.
The project will be carried out in partnership with Kiusamisvaba Kool Foundation, the Estonian National Youth Council and the Estonian School Student Councils. Project partners provide input in developing study materials and training programs.
Summary of project results
The first Estonian LGBT+ student school environment survey, conducted in 2018, showed that the school environment in Estonia is hostile for LGBT+ students. Thus, the aim of the project was to make Estonian schools more inclusive and safer for LGBT+ students.
Since making the school environment safer and more inclusive is a long-term journey, the primary goal of the project was to build bridges between different institutions and specialists working in this field.
Among others, it was important to communicate the problem and its seriousness and build a bridge with various organizations and specialists in the field, with whom collaboration would continue even after the project. Additionally, the aim was to empower teachers and other education sector staff through training and materials. It was also crucial that LGBT+ youth currently attending school receive a clear signal and other specialists in the field that LGBT+ issues are very important in schools and that the well-being of these students is just as important as that of any other student.