MIAMI - The Miami-Dade chapter of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, a national advocacy group for safe schools, recently expanded its charter to include public schools in Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties in addition to Miami-Dade where it has worked for close to 15 years making schools safer for all students regardless of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."The issue of school safety is important to educators throughout South Florida," said Robert Loupo, executive director of the newly renamed GLSEN South Florida. "A recent Harris survey showed that over 50 percent of students in Florida reported that they were verbally harassed in school the previous year. The same survey showed that students in schools with inclusive school board policies, like the ones we have established in Miami-Dade, report far fewer harassment problems at their schools (33 vs. 44 percent). "We need to share our successful training programs which teach respect for everyone with other school districts and schools in South Florida," Loupo said.To support the expansion GLSEN South Florida board president Bruce Presley has pledged a matching grant of $100,000. To date $35,000 in matching funds has been collected. "It's just the beginning," said Presley of the funding campaign. "This work is so important that I'm sure we will attract philanthropists from all four counties who are eager to help gay kids.""I think it's wonderful that GLSEN Miami is reaching out to include other South Florida counties," said Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of GLSEN. "They have been strong advocates for making schools safer in Miami-Dade and I'm sure they will be successful in addressing anti-LGBT harassment in Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach schools."Loupo said his organization, which has trained more than 800 Miami-Dade educators in preventing bullying of sexual minorities in schools, has met with educators and school board officials in the three new counties and has been warmly welcomed. Programs will be launched in locations throughout South Florida in the next several months. GLSEN South Florida was first organized in 1991 as South Florida Educators Group and focused on connecting and empowering GLBT educators in Miami-Dade County. Having achieved significant changes in school board policy and union contract protections in 1993 and 1994, the board of directors voted to become a chapter of the national organization, GLSEN, Inc. in 1996. In 1999 the organization created its Safe Schools Project which provides professional training for teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 as well as a number of programs for students including youth empowerment and history conferences, recreational events and student panels."We are confident that we can leverage our successes in Miami to the surrounding South Florida school districts in collaboration with school district officials and others," said Loupo. "These institutional changes will translate into life-changing experiences for all students." More information is available online at glsensouthflorida.org.


For more information check the following sites: glsensouthflorida.org