Subject: strictly fyi: new WA State guidelines re: discrimination in schools, new Seattle LGBTQQ youth program,
From: Reis, Beth <Beth.Reis@kingcounty.gov>
Date: 3/1/2012 5:13 PM
To: IMPORTANTNEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org
Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:
 
(1) new guidelines released to assist school districts in implementing Washington State civil rights laws  
(2) Powerful Voices is recruiting for a new 12-week group for LGBTQQ female-socialized youth in Seattle
 
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(1) new guidelines released to assist school districts in implementing Washington State civil rights laws  
 
Dear Colleague,
 
We are writing to announce the publication of new guidelines to assist school districts in implementing Washington State civil rights laws.  The guidelines, titled “Prohibiting Discrimination in Washington Public Schools – Guidelines for School Districts to Implement Chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW and Chapter 392-190 WAC,” are available online here.
 
These guidelines constitute the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) interpretation of chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and chapter 392-190 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and are provided to support school districts’ understanding of their obligations under these laws. The guidelines include information on the following topics:
 
If you have any questions, please contact OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights office at (360) 725-6162/TTY:(360) 664-3631 or by e-mail at equity@k12.wa.us.
 
Best regards,
 
Yvonne Ryans, Ed.D.
Director Title IIA and Equity and Civil Rights
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Yvonne.Ryans@k12.wa.us
phone 360.725.6361  fax 360.586.3305
 
Callie Sechrist
Program Supervisor, Equity and Civil Rights
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
(360) 725-6236
 
www.k12.wa.us/Equity
 
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(2) Powerful Voices is recruiting for a new 12-week group for LGBTQQ female-socialized youth in Seattle
 
Powerful Voices is currently recruiting for a 12-week community based group for LGBTQQ female-socialized (whether or not they identify) youth 12-18 years old who live or attend school in Seattle. This program is every Wednesday from 4-6pm in the Central District at Garfield Community Center and is in partnership with the Northwest Network for BTLG Survivors of Abuse and Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress.
 
We will be discussing gender identity, sexuality and relationships through social justice frames in addition to developing safe space, building community among other queer/questioning/gender non-conforming youth and HAVING FUN!
 
Food, transportation assistance, $100 visa gift card and positive adult allies provided!
We're looking for youth who are...
•       Interested in exploring sexuality, relationships and gender identity.
•       Open to working in a group supported by a dynamic queer women of color duo.
•       Open to sharing their own personal thoughts, opinions, experiences, and emotions about their lives and the topics we cover in a group setting.
•       Committed to attending 80% of the program days, orientation, community closing event & 3 one-on-one support sessions with PV staff.
 
*Priority given to low-income youth, homeless youth, youth of color, immigrant and refugee youth, youth w/ truancy issues and youth at-risk of sexual exploitation*
 
To request Flyers, applications and nomination forms please contact Powerful Voices at (206) 860-1026 or email Rosie at rosie@powerfulvoices.org
 
NOTE:
Powerful Voices believes that gender is a socially constructed identity and that [GIRL] is a creation of the socialization and messages that a person assigned as “female” is given at birth. Our expertise and programs reside in serving youth with personal experiences and issues that socialized females face; therefore we define [GIRL] as any person who has been socialized female, whether they identify as female or not. Our goal is to build safe, inclusive communities for female-identified/socialized youth and encourage youth to explore their own personal expression of gender-identity and radicalize the structure of binary genders. 
 
Powerful Voices acknowledges our own room for growth in serving gender non-conforming youth in our community. We honor the strength & struggle for gender non-conforming youth who seek safe community building. We aim to increase our allyship, education, training and capacity to responsibly serve gender non-conforming youth in our programs.
 
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