Celebrating LGBTQ History Month With New Tools to Support Inclusive Curriculum Law Implementation
 
October is LGBTQ History Month and there is plenty to celebrate! After years of organizing, advocating, and planning, the Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Law finally went into effect on July 1, 2020. Public schools across Illinois are now required to include the roles and contributions of LGBT historical figures in the teaching of Illinois and United States history. This law offers public school students a more accurate, complete, and equitable picture of American society and provides LGBTQ+ students the opportunity to see themselves represented in history. To understand the foundations of the law, please refer to and share this overview and these Frequently Asked Questions.

Additionally, the Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Advisory Council (IICAC), comprised of Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago’s Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (The Alliance), Equality Illinois, and The Legacy Project, has worked to develop tools and curate resources to support the implementation of the law. This has happened in collaboration with Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, and individual educators. Please see the press release announcing the IICAC's new tools and resources here.

Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Implementation Guidance
Crafted by the IICAC, in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Education Association, and Illinois Federation of Teachers, a condensed edition of the Inclusive Curriculum Implementation Guidance is now available. This guide will provide educators and administrators with strategies for classroom implementation, both in-person and remote. IICAC will be releasing the full document this winter.
 
Lesson Plans
The Legacy Project launched its Education Initiative in 2013. This resource has been adapted into a searchable repository of proprietary and third-party lesson plans to help teachers identify historically significant LGBTQ+ people who contributed towards nearly every subject and field presently studied in Illinois schools. The portal is now available for use. Qualified teachers are needed to share in ongoing research and drafting of lesson plans. To volunteer in support of this work, please email Victor Salvo here.

Professional Development
The Alliance is offering a free webinar, Deepening Our History: Implementing the Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Law, geared towards school administrators and educators. The learning objectives include:
 
  • Learn the history, details, value, and impact of the Inclusive Curriculum Law
  • Understand how affirming learning environments make an inclusive curriculum more effective
  • Analyze the frameworks and strategies for implementing inclusive curricula
  • Build assurance to access and utilize existing tools and resources that can be used in the classroom

Registration links for the upcoming free webinars are provided below.
  • Thursday, October 29 at 10am – Register here!
  • Monday, November 16 at 5pm – Register here!

If you would like to request a specific professional development workshop that is tailored to your school and/or organization, please complete this Professional Development Request Form. Our existing professional development offerings include: 

  • Creating Affirming Learning Environments
  • Deepening Our History: Implementing the Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Law
  • Supporting Transgender and Gender Expansive Students
  • Legal Rights of Transgender Youth
  
Thank you to the countless students, parents, teachers, stakeholders, partners, and larger community for supporting us throughout this process.
 
As always, feel free to share our sign-up form so that people in your networks can also receive resources to support implementation of the Inclusive Curriculum Law.