When navigating gender and orientation topics in the intimate realms of faith and community settings, it can often feel like there’s no way through the barriers and often painful disagreements. YES Institute offers education and communication tools that embrace disparate beliefs while allowing space for growth and acceptance.
Participants are not asked to give up or change any deeply held religious or cultural beliefs on gender identity and sexual orientation.Instead, everyone is honored for their beliefs, and conversations are focused on finding ways to reduce anti-gay and gender-related bullying and bias which impacts all students. We also provide student and parent peer contacts who can support families dealing with these topics, as well as community and religious resources.
Our work is designed to be responsive to the unique and deeply personal relationships within faith and community groups. We partner with a wide range of communities committed to finding a path forward so all members stay connected and feel included.
Religious and independent schools seek out YES Institute for our track record of welcoming, inclusive dialogues that lead to solutions and open, authentic conversations. Recent religious and independent school clients and churches and synagogues include:
- Archdiocese of Miami–CatholicCharities’ Msgr.Bryan Walsh Children’s Village
- Gulliver Academy & Preparatory (Miami, FL)
- NSU University K–12 School (Davie, FL)
- Palmer Trinity Episcopal K–12 (Miami, FL)
- Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami
- Riviera Presbyterian Church (Miami, FL)
- St. Martin’s Episcopal K–8 School (Atlanta, GA)
- Temple Beth Am (Miami, FL)
- Temple Beth Or (Miami, FL)
Due to COVID-19, all YES Institute sessions are now delivered through a private Zoom meeting or video conferencing application of your choice.
YES Institute is accredited by:
- Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade & Monroe (CEU’s)
- Florida Board of LCSW/LMFT/LMHC (Professional CEU’s)
- Florida Board of Nursing (Professional CEU’s)
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Teacher professional development)
Pricing: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, we accept contributions to offset the cost of preparing for your dialogue sessions, securing guest speakers, managing technology, and supporting our nonprofit work in foster care, youth empowerment, and Title 1 Broward and Miami-Dade Schools. Please consider making a $500 donation per hour of live training work should you engage with us.
To request an educational training for your community, please contact us via email or call our office at 305-663-7195.