LGBTQ+ Students Project
Creating safe and affirming school experiences for LGBTQ+ youth
- Client
- Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health
- Location
- Michigan, United States
- Status
- Completed
The MDE LGBTQ+ Students Project is focused on empowering and equipping Michigan schools to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ students, their families and the educators who serve them. It is the only program in Michigan of its kind, and states across the country turn to it as a model for how to provide training, resources, and best practices for supporting their LGBTQ+ students using an intersectional lens and social justice framework. Since its inception, the project has trained more than 6,000 school & health personnel representing 508 districts in almost every county in Michigan.
Our Blue Cottage of CannonDesign team worked with the project's strategic partners — Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH), Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Roots of Change — to build on their current momentum and develop a strategic roadmap for increased engagement, in particular among school districts that primarily serve students of color and/or are located in rural areas. This relationship is a continuation of our pro-bono work via Open Hand Studio after our original scope enabled their approval of additional grant funding.
A local population in need
1 in 8
high school students in Michigan identifies as LGBTQ+
2.7x
students are 2.7x more likely to skip school because they feel unsafe
23%
of LGBTQ+ students attempted suicide in the last 12 months
1 in 6
LGBTQ+ students heard school staff make homophobic comments
The engagement — what we did
Visioning Session
Objective - to engage and gather future thinkers involved with the Project to envision the future state and the paths required to achieve it, both individually and as a group.
Collaborative Sessions
Objective - to engage collaborators, both directly and indirectly involved with the Project, to brainstorm on various topics including intersectionality and communication, and how these aspects can be enhanced in the initiative's future.
Focus Group
Objective - to gather insights from educators, school staff, and administration to understand the transformative effect of the Project on educational practices and policies to date.
Impact Report
Objective – to create a cohesive and compelling visual identity for the LGBTQ+ Students Project, culminating in an Impact Report that highlights the project's progress and its impact on students, schools, and communities across Michigan and beyond.
To help expand the impact of the LGBTQ+ Students Project, we facilitated a visioning session that led to multiple collaborative workshops with community partners with an emphasis on intersectionality. Through our engagements, we helped to identify and prioritize the challenges and opportunities the project has or intends to solve to create a time-based actionable plan to guide the organization for future grant proposals and growth. Additionally, our team worked closely with project leaders on stakeholder outreach strategies, brand strategy and strategic planning for alternative models of funding.
Testimonials
Our work supported inclusive engagement that served as a roadmap for the project to empower more communities, and ultimately strengthen systems of support for students in Michigan and beyond. We're honored to play a part in shaping the program's future so that all LGBTQ+ young people can feel safe and supported — and thrive in school.
