Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) takes steps to ensure the well-being and safety of their LGBTQ students and staff.
As part of a Professional Development Day with faculty and staff, MDCPS asked YES Institute to lead an Unconscious Bias in Learning Environments dialogue. Teachers and counselors authentically shared moments where they experienced microaggressions and the impact of those exchanges. Participants also bravely faced moments where their unconscious bias may have appeared in the classrooms, at home, and in everyday life. Each participant walked away with tools and expressed their gratitude for the training.
Students were at the center of the conversation when our team facilitated a very raw dialogue around gender and orientation with the Young Men’s Preparatory Academy middle school in Overtown. The boys were eager to learn about our team’s personal experiences and openly shared their discomfort while facing their own fears in the community.
By the end of the hour, one of the teens opened up and said, “I was about to leave at the beginning when I heard you say what we were going to talk about but then my friend made me stay and you’re actually really cool so I’m glad I stayed.” Our team received a personal invitation from the young men themselves to come back for another “real talk” with the group.
Thank you MDCPS and the Young Men’s Preparatory Academy for creating safe and brave space for and with your youth!