Creating Spaces of Dignity
Professional Development Programming for Colonial School District
Lex facilitated his session, “Creating Spaces of Dignity” for the Colonial School District’s Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leadership Team on February 2nd, 2026.
This professional development for Colonial School District educators and staff offered an immersive and thought provoking session loaded with opportunities to advance their knowledge and personal growth on topics of key relevance to their role as champions of belonging and equity.
Program Description:
This program moves beyond providing participants with foundational information on gender and sexuality by uniquely incorporating skill building opportunities paired with tangible tools, takeaways, and best practices, for all to proactively reflect on their impact and put our knowledge into action to become effective allies in action in our everyday practices at school and beyond.
Content Areas Include:
Break down of gender by separately addressing
Gender identity, gender expression, and sex designated at birth / affirming sex
Understand and define systems of oppression and how they show up in our day-to-day lives including transphobia, cissexism, cisnormativity, heterosexism and heteronormativity
Identify and understand microaggressions and biases that uniquely impact queer, non-binary and trans individuals, giving us necessary perspective to better address and approach situations when they happen in real time
Strategies on how to respond to anti-LGBTQIA+ behavior, with time to practice
Implement and apply inclusion strategies through scenarios work
Objectives/Goals
1. Identify and understand the core terms and concepts related to gender and sexuality and how they influence our perception of others and impact our interactions
2. Understand assumptions, interactions and barriers that uniquely impact the experience of LGBTQIA+ people
3. Identify gender norms to move past assumptions and act from a place of affirmation
4. Leave with tangible tools, best practices, and strategies to utilize as an effective ally in action to and advocate for queer, non-binary and trans people and/or for self-advocacy
Takeaways
1. Critically think about areas of improvement to better support queer, non-binary and trans people using an inclusive and affirming understanding of gender and sexuality in our proactive allyship
2. Gain an inclusive and affirming understanding of gender and sexuality
3. Leave with next steps, tangible tools, and strategies to put best practices into action
