Crowdfunding campaign to 'break the silence' for LGBTQ youth earns over $20K with over 200 supporters
Bethy Leonardi, PhD (2014, EFPP) and Sara Staley, PhD Candidate (Literacy) have been working on a groundbreaking documentary called Breaking the Silence: Honoring the Voices of LGBTQ Youth and Allies in Supporting our Teachers.
As featured by ABC News Denver, the Daily Camera, the Boulder County Business Report, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and others, the film was one of eight projects chosen to be included in a new CU-Boulder Crowdfunding initiative to raise funds through charitable contributions.
The film draws from an April 2013 panel of LGBTQ youth talking with 75 pre-service and in-service teachers about creating safe and inclusive schools, as well as over 30 interviews with faculty, teachers, students, and community members. As one project of a broader initiative, A Queer Endeavor, the aims of the film are to "break the silence" in our community and to reach out to other communities by collaborating with schools of education across the country.
The campaign reached its goal of raising over $20,000 with over 200 supporters! With the funds, A Queer Endeavor will complete the film and create four short, focused videos with accompanying curriculum materials, which will be used in teacher education and in professional development.
We greatly appreciate the overwhelming support given to creating safe and inclusive schools. Stay tuned with A Queer Endeavor for information on the completed film, videos, and curricular materials, as well as other important projects such as their well-attended Teacher Institutes.
