Peer education on sexual diversity
How to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics with students and young adults
Date and location
10-13 February 2015 (indicative), Stockholm, Sweden
For who?
This course is developed for LGBT voluntary educators who (want to) educate teenagers and young adults about sexual diversity.
What is it about?
The course is about core competences to engage in a critical dialogue with diverse audiences and to systematically support them to deal better with diversity and, of course, especially sexual diversity. The course offers both intensive explorations of the needed content of anti-homophobia and transphobia education, in the context of heteronormativity, as well as practical exercises and training in groups.
What is the program?
This is a 4-day program. It starts with interactive explorations and introductions of the norm of heterosexuality and the process of social exclusion and stigmatization. We explore your personal starting points and goals and relate them to the needs of teenagers and young adults of different cultures and backgrounds. We exercise a series of basic discussion techniques like brainstorming, statement games, de-gaying and dialogue. We will go more in depth in the use of dramatic exercises. The course is closed with the development of a model session format that can be used in groups of teenagers and young adults.
What will you learn?
You will get to know how homophobic and transphobic discrimination and social exclusion occurs and how educators can make a difference. You will have fun trying out a range of discussion techniques and interactive exercises which create a lively dialogue with students. You will also have explored your personal goals and how they relate to the interest of the students. This will help you to develop tailored education strategies in each class.
How does this course link into Erasmus+ priorities?
- The course will support learners to acquire knowledge in what way heteronormativity is a social obstacle for equity and inclusion and to acquire the skills how to criticize this significant factor in dialogue with students.
- The course will support the professional development of educators in innovating and improving their tools in training youth and young adults, making them aware how they can develop and apply them to combat heteronormativity, in order to foster equity and inclusion.
- The course will enhance the participants competence in English as they in this language have to study the subject and to develop their dialogue skills.
- The course will raise the participants awareness of heteronormativity in other countries and subcultures and related needs of youth and young adults from different cultures and backgrounds. That will make them learn about transnational differences and similarities, which will strengthen European cooperation and a sense of European citizenship and identity.
- The course will reinforce for the participants how peer education on sexual diversity can create a synergy with formal education on related issues.
How will it build your organization's capacity?
Your organization will be better equipped to offer peer-education about sexual diversity, for example by sending LGBT volunteers to schools and other institutions who offer opportunities for informal education. Or your organization has heterosexual peer-educators teaching others about sex education, AIDS-education, citizenship, discrimination or diversity. This course increases the capacity of your organization by offering volunteers a clear and academically based theoretical and practical framework to work with. Your organization will gain expertise as to how to respond to the needs of youth and young adults, living in the context of the norm of heterosexuality. At a personal level, it will increase the personal competences of the peer-educators, which will be a marketing asset for your organization. In addition, the course offers inspiration and materials to replicate part of this course to other volunteers in your organization. Participants will also get a copy of the GALE manual on how to organize a peer-education group on sexual diversity, which will help raise the quality of strategic choices and work planning.
What to do now?
- Send us a note of interest so we can support you and your management in making an application.
- Make sure your management submits an application on behalf of the organization (deadline 17 March).
- Register formally by filling in the GALE open course registration form, signing and scanning it and sending/mailing it to us.