Since 2010, the It Gets Better Project has seen the positive impact that its mission and message – told primarily through online stories – can have on the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.
It Gets Better EDU exists to take that one step further, to ensure that the stories crafted and collected by the It Gets Better Project reach LGBTQ+ youth wherever learning takes place — in classrooms, in GSA meetings, in online zoom calls, and more. We do this by offering educators and student leaders easy-to-access and easy-to-use materials, information, and more. This includes:
- EduGuides. Our free-to-download materials available at itgetsbetter.org/EduGuides are made to accompany some of our best content. They’re full of discussion questions, activities, and more that make it easy to share LGBTQ+ stories and themes with any audience.
- Resources for Online Classrooms. It’s essential that digital classrooms, just like in-person ones, be safe and inclusive places for LGBTQ+ students. We’ve provided a list of resources and tools to help you make that a reality for your students at itgetsbetter.org/InclusiveOnlineClassrooms.
- LGBTQ+ Glossary. Our online, media-centric glossary at itgetsbettert.org/Glossary can help students both young and old better come to know the words often used and embraced by the LGBTQ+ community at large, particularly by English-speakers in the United States.
- Get Help – Resource Database. We’ve identified over 1100 organizations in 40+ countries around the world offering support to LGBTQ+ youth. These organizations can be searched by name, location, and resource type at itgetsbetter.org/Gethelp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the focus on education?
In 2012, the FAIR Education Act went into effect in California. It mandates that all K-12 history and social studies curriculum in the state include references to the contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community to our world today. Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, and Oregon have passed similar laws since, as did Scotland (UK) in 2018.
These are incredible first steps. According to The 2017 National School Climate Survey from the GLSEN Research Institute, LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum is one of the four pillars required to make schools, including online ones, safe and inclusive places for LGBTQ+ students. The other three pillars are (1) supportive educators, (2) inclusive and supportive policies, and (3) supportive student clubs, such as Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs).
Laws like the FAIR Education Act are just the beginning. The It Gets Better Project, through It Gets Better EDU, sees itself – and the stories it has collected and crafted over the years – playing a unique role in helping to push progress forward in the four areas highlighted above.
Are It Gets Better EDU resources only for the classroom?
Not at all! Our LGBTQ+ videos, books, and more – and the EduGuides we’ve created to accompany them – are also great for community events, family nights, group Zoom calls, and more. Check out the following video for some tips on how you can create a screening or book reading event for your audience, large or small, offline or online.
To learn more about It Gets Better EDU, check out itgetsbetter.org/education.