Future Learning Design Podcast

Creating Spaces of Belonging - A Conversation with Dr Emily Meadows

Jun 9, 2024

Dr. Emily Meadows, LGBTQ+ consultant, talks about creating inclusive spaces in schools for all students, especially LGBTQ+. Topics include addressing biases, promoting dialogue, defining terms like liberation and equity, and fostering belonging through connections and policies in educational settings.

52:42

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Episode guests

Emily Meadows

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Creating safe and inclusive school environments for LGBTQ+ youth is crucial for their well-being and success.

Addressing systemic inequities and biases in education requires educators to challenge harmful norms for liberation and equity.

Promoting open discussions, critical thinking, and questioning in education fosters inclusivity and acceptance.

Deep dives

The Podcast Focuses on Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces in Schools

The podcast highlights the importance of schools being safe and inclusive environments for all students. It discusses the need to address systemic inequities and biases that exist within educational institutions, emphasizing the role of educators and leaders in promoting belonging and safety, especially for LGBTQ young people.

Intro

2min

Exploring Systemic Inequities and Creating Spaces of Belonging in Education

3min

Exploring the Meaning of Liberation, Equity, and DEIJ Work in Education

3min

Exploring Global Shared Ideas and Values through a Critical Lens in Education

2min

Belonging, Safety, and Inclusion in Educational Settings

13min

Fostering Safety, Vulnerability, and Connection for Belonging in Educational Settings

30min

What would it mean for ALL of our young people to feel safe and that they belong in our schools? This week, it's fantastic to have Dr Emily Meadows with us on the podcast to talk about creating spaces of belonging for everyone, but in particular for LGBTQ+ young people.

Dr. Emily Meadows (she/her) is an LGBTQ+ consultant and published author specializing in international schools. Emily creates an environment that is non-judgmental and engaging for her clients, while taking an intersectional approach that addresses both the why and the how of inclusion so that educators become confident and competent supporting LGBTQ+ students.

In addition to her doctoral degree, Emily holds master’s degrees in both Sexual Health and Counseling, and has worked as an international school counselor for over a decade. She researches, publishes, and trains school communities on equitable policy and practice, while also teaching for the LGBT Health Policy & Practice graduate program at George Washington University.

Emily has developed inclusion standards, referenda, and trainings for professional organizations such as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), The Fulbright Commission, the Association for International Educators and Leaders of Color (AIELOC), the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) and the American Psychological Association (APA). Having spent more than half of her life in international schools, Emily specializes in culturally-relevant solutions to promote equity and inclusion worldwide.

Additional resources

Supporting LGBTQ students: https://www.cois.org/about-cis/perspectives-blog/blog-post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/preparing-lgbtq-students-for-an-overnight-camp

"Transgender Student Support Toolkit for International School Counselors": https://iscainfo.com/Transgender-Student-Support

Wheel of Safety and Belonging:

https://www.cois.org/about-cis/perspectives-blog/blog-post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/can-diversity-equity-and-belonging-initiatives-create-division-in-schools-and-a-framework-to-help

LGBTQ+ Identity Affirmation in International Schools: An Ethical Framework for Educators:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/01614681231194416