In the Context of Secondary Schools

In the Context of Secondary Schools is a 12-month project focused on improving the quality of school life for LGBTIQ+ students of secondary schools (hereinafter referred to as queer students), on raising awareness, and on encouraging school workers and future school workers to actively participate in creating safe spaces for queer students within their schools. Research indicates that queer students are treated unequally as they are faced with discrimination and different forms of violence throughout their schooling.

At the start and end of the project, the DIH – Equal Under the Rainbow Association and Youth Cultural Center Maribor will conduct research on the quality of school life among queer students, the violence they are subjected to, their self-image, and self-acceptance. Based on the findings, we will publish a handbook for school workers to present our findings about violence against queer students and their non-acceptance (both by their peers and school workers). In the handbook, they will lay out the guidelines for organizing curricular activities for queer students and guidelines for battling phobia in the school environment. The handbook will be sent to all 178 secondary schools in Slovenia. We will also give a detailed presentation of the book at both secondary schools included in the program and all three Faculties of Education across Slovenia.

Partnering up with the Youth Cultural Center Maribor, the Ljubljana-based DIH – Equal Under the Rainbow Association will four different activities each month, which will be aimed at the queer students at the two schools in Maribor and Ljubljana. One of these monthly activities will also be aimed at the queer-straight alliance – each month, we will hold a discussion group aimed at all students, regardless of whether they are part of the queer community or not. Doing so, we want to improve the relationships between queer students and others, while at the same time increasing the acceptance of queer students within the school environment. The events will shed light on the basic concepts of the queer community, address various questions and problems faced by queer students. We will also carry out workshops where the participants will learn how to improve their well-being and create a supportive community that will remain active even after the completion of the project.