The global alliance for lgbt education toolkit Working with Schools 0

How to use the toolkit

We collected some good materials, but we are aware there are many more good tools and practices. Also, the current tools will probably need upgrading and editing for use in different cultures and contexts. This is why GALE offers these tools both on paper, on the internet and as editable Word versions.
Editable tools

We not only offer the possibility to edit and translate these tools, but we would like to encourage it. We only ask editors:

1. 
   Give credit to GALE as the source
   
2. 
   Send their improved versions also to GALE ([e-mail]), so we can share them again with others
   
3. 
   Do not copyright the new versions, and thus commercialize the materials and create competition in a field where we need solidarity and collaboration.
   

On-going redevelopment

This toolkit is version 1.0. In a sense it is a draft. GALE, as a global learning platform of educators, will continue to collect good practices, develop new tools, redevelop existing tools and share these as widely as possible.

With new additions and redeveloped tools, we aim to go on to publish a toolkit 2.0 in due time. In the meantime, we ask you, when you offer us new tools or redevelop existing tools, to add which version you are adding to. Any new versions added to this version will be called 1.1 versions. They will be added to the 2.0 toolkit when it is published as a whole.
Projects

The development of tools is most effective when the tools are developed based on a real need and on local practical implementation. This is why GALE encourages the development of local pilot projects to invent, redevelop or test methods and tools.

GALE has over 500 members all over the world, who each in their own way are experts on education and storytelling. GALE also collaborates with other international organizations and donors, and we are the official LGBT collaboration network of UNESCO. Our website creates sharing and collaboration between all these stakeholders, both LGBT and straight. Developing educational projects in the context of GALE has multiple added benefits:

• 
  You can get quality feedback from hundreds of experts
  
• 
  You can avoid reinventing the wheel by checking whether something has already been done and start on a higher level of quality
  
• 
  You can find collaboration partners in your country or international partners
  
• 
  You can easier access to international donors
  
• 
  You can get support in developing your project
  
• 
  You can create formal links with UNESCO
  
• 
  You can use GALE to disseminate you results and good practices worldwide
  

If you are interested to develop a project proposal and you would like to collaborate with GALE on this, we welcome your proposals! ([e-mail])
We hope you enjoy reading and using this toolkit and look forward to collaborate with you!
GALE THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR LGBT EDUCATION

Toolkit Working with Schools 1.0

Peter Dankmeijer & Leonie Kamps
SMART objectives
One of the challenges of combating homophobia, transphobia and heteronormativity is to be precise and exact in what you aim to do. Most projects focusing on LGBT issues in schools are notably underdeveloped in this area. Objectives often stay vague, like: to combat homophobia, to combat prejudice, to promote tolerance. This is an important deficit: how can you show you are effective when you objectives are too fuzzy to monitor?
In this tool, we offer a first list of possible objectives. Most of these still have to be more specified to be really SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).

The list has been developed in the context of a Dutch project by EduDivers to make projects to combat homophobia, transphobia and heteronormativity more effective by using intervention mapping method. This method and some main features of the results are described in another tool in this section "intervention mapping to combat homophobia in schools".

Important aspects of "good" objectives is that they need to be formulated in a positive way and that they should be observable or measurable.
The proposal of EduDivers for concrete project objectives, as related to crucial change factors that appeared from a needs assessment, fall in four categories

1. 
   Stop negative behavior against LGBT people
   
2. 
   Promote social support for LGBT people
   
3. 
   Strengthen resilience and empowerment
   
4. 
   Reduce social distance
   

Stop negative behavior against LGBT people

1. 
   Young people have knowledge about the heterosexual norm. They know how coercion to conform to this norm leads to exclusion, stress and other negative consequences.
   
2. 
   Young people know that the prejudices that hinder acceptance (including the view that homosexual orientation is learned or a choice, and that all gays and lesbians intend to sexually harass others) are incorrect.
   

Promote social support for LGBT people

3. 
   If there is a problem of intolerance, then LGBT and straight students support together, even when there may be a risk to their status in the group.
   
4. 
   Heterosexual youth know how to respond when a friend is coming out to them.
   
5. 
   Parents know where they can obtain information about LGBT issues.
   
6. 
   Teachers and principals know to what extent negative behavior towards LGBT occurs at their school.
   
7. 
   Teachers have skills to discuss LGBT issues and to combat negative behaviors.
   

Strengthen resilience and empowerment

8. 
   LGBT young people recognize their feelings.
   
9. 
   They know ways to safely express their feelings.
   
10. 
    They express these feelings.
    
11. 
    They maintain social relationships with other LGBT youth and heterosexual peers.
    

Reduce social distance

12. 
    LGBT students and heterosexual students know from each other whether they are fancying boys or girls.
    
13. 
    They do all the things people normally do together: make friends, lunch together, do homework and so on.
    
14. 
    LGBT youth and straight youth learn to work together.
    

You may notice there is very little mention of attitudes in these objectives. This is no accident. The way these objectives are formulated now, are objectively observable. The measurement of then is therefore more neutral then monitoring attitudes, which may, in questionnaires, be tainted by social desirability (in societies where discrimination in considered not done).

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GALE THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR LGBT EDUCATION

Toolkit Working with Schools 1.0

Peter Dankmeijer
Developing questionnaires
Developing a good survey instrument is an academic skill. So the first advice we would like to offer you, is to contact a researcher who can collaborate with you in developing a questionnaire.

In this tool, we will go in to the most main choices you have to make before you develop a survey. We show you the way to the best practices of question batteries on homophobia and heteronormativity in general, and questionnaires that have been developed for schools specifically. Finally we make you aware of most commonly made mistakes when developing survey questions.

We are aware this tool is just a start and needs much improvement to be of outstanding quality. We therefore invite users and academics to comment on this tool and to add to it. Also, we invite users to share their actual questionnaires through the GALE website.