Paul Teske
June 27, 2022
Among the many celebrations and anniversaries that happen in the month of June, we have two that stand out as important to kids, learning, and culture: Pride and Juneteenth. In recent years, these are also areas that have become increasingly and unfortunately politicized. At Prezi, we stand behind all kids and the teachers that support them, but we particularly provide added support to LGBTQAI and Black students and teachers who are often marginalized in education spaces and society broadly.
Bullying of LGBTQIA students in U.S. high schools is real and growing. According to stopbullying.gov, 32% of students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual report having been bullied on school property and 26.6% have been cyberbullied in the past year in comparison to their straight peers (17.1% and 14.1%, respectively). Additionally the Trevor Project found that “19% of LGBTQAI youth ages 13–18 and 8.3% of LGBTQAI youth ages 19–24 reported attempting suicide in the past year.” In the U.S. these rates translate to an estimated 503,073 LGBTQAI youth between the ages of 13–18 and 209,917 between the ages of 19–24 who attempted suicide in the past year. In order to support these students, teachers must feel free to support their LGBTQAI students without fear of retaliation. The infographic in this blog provides steps teachers can take to make a more inclusive classroom for their LGBTQAI students.
Understanding Black and Brown history in the U.S. is of paramount importance. And understanding these histories doesn’t diminish the quality of education or sense of well being of other students. Recently, Joe Biden made Juneteenth an official holiday. It acts as a remembrance and commemoration of the end of slavery in the US, and its historical significance should not be glossed over, but rather studied. Toward that end, Prezi offers another infographic on children’s literature that addresses Juneteenth and its significance culturally.
June is a month of opening our hearts and minds to others who have different lived experiences from our own. Our empathy and compassion grow as we become more aware of the lives of others. We hope this infographic offers a small way to contribute to building a more understanding world.
