プライドを輝かせよう：10代のためのLGBTQ+と支援者のためのサマーキャンプ

WELCOME! Join me for a summer adventure in learning ✨️

😎 This teen retreat is a Summer Camp that aims to foster a deep understanding, respect, and acceptance for all. We stand firmly by the belief that every individual deserves profound respect and equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Let’s create a space of inclusivity and empowerment for everyone as we continue this enriching journey! 🌈

🎨 Learning occurs through reading many different types of materials (no textbook), watching videos, writing answers to questions about the reading and video material, creating whimsical slideshow videos, presenting LGBTQ+ current events every week, great open discussions about the material in our live meetings, and break-out room discussions and social time! The projects are actually an asynchronous discussion between learners about the materials in each teacher post, but it is optional (except for the current events), but reading the materials is heavily recommended so that we may have discussions in our live meetings. Meets on Thursdays and Mondays, and I am very flexible with the homework for each individual camper's needs - just reach out!

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🏳️‍🌈 Welcome to the exhilarating world of the LGBTQ+ Community! Get ready to take things up a notch as we delve deep into the broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ topics. From iconic figures who have shaped history to monumental events that have defined the movement, this class offers an accessible, engaging, and utterly gripping overview of LGBTQ identities and the interdisciplinary nature of sexuality studies. This course is designed to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, have open dialogue, and celebrate diversity. It is also accelerated and advanced with a lot of reading material, written assignments, slideshow projects, and videos.

Together, we’ll embark on a captivating journey filled with diverse and knowledge-enriching activities. We’ll explore thought-provoking articles and videos about influential past and present LGBTQ+ personalities who have made significant contributions to society and culture. We’ll relive pivotal moments in LGBTQ history through enlightening videos that bring these events to life. And we’ll broaden our perspectives by listening to podcasts that offer a range of voices and viewpoints on LGBTQ+ matters. We will also have meaningful discussions in the live meetings about the state of the LGBTQ+ community in the present. This camp is a vibrant mix of academic rigor and creative exploration, ensuring that learning is not just informative but a true and FUN adventure! 

In this camp, your teen will dive into various interdisciplinary themes that bridge history, literature, art, current events, open discussion in live meetings, and social sciences. We’ll explore how the LGBTQ+ community has navigated and influenced these fields, and how these contributions continue to shape contemporary culture and society. 🌍

Each week, students will engage in the following in their projects which are really an asynchronous way for learners to discuss the material throughout the week:

Thought-Provoking Articles  
Teens will be reading many articles about groundbreaking LGBTQ+ figures and movements, reflecting on how these individuals and events have impacted the world. They’ll explore stories of courage, creativity, and resilience, gaining insights into the personal and collective journeys of LGBTQ+ communities. 📖

Enlightening Videos
Through carefully selected videos, we’ll witness key historical moments, explore current issues of today, and learn about the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ people. These visual resources will provide context and depth to our discussions, making the history and current culture of the LGBTQ+ community come alive. 🎥

Creative Projects
We’ll incorporate creative projects like animated slideshows allowing students to express what they’ve learned and found interesting in imaginative and personal ways. These projects will foster a deeper connection to the material and provide opportunities for creative expression. 🎨

Engaging Discussions and Kahoot Games
Live meetings will include vibrant group and break-out room discussions where teens can share their thoughts and reflections on the week’s topics. Some weeks will also have a special guest speaker in the live meetings. We’ll also have some fun with interactive Kahoot games to review what we’ve learned, keeping the atmosphere lively and engaging. 🎮

Weekly Current Event Reports 
To connect our studies with the real world, each teen will research a current event related to LGBTQ+ issues and present a short oral report of their findings along with a short and simple slideshow to screen share during our live meetings. This will not only reinforce their learning but also enhance their research and public speaking skills. 🗣️

👀 Dive into the "Syllabus" section below for all the crucial details and our thrilling weekly schedule! 

This camp promises to be an enlightening and empowering experience, equipping your teen with even more knowledge and empathy to understand and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, all while having fun!

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We meet twice per week: Mondays and Thursdays

🗓️ In our first live meeting on Thursday, I'll introduce myself, the subject, and provide background information. Students will then introduce themselves by giving their preferred name, the state they live in, why they chose to take this camp, and a fun fact about themselves. We'll go over what the camp involves, such as the weekly project postings in the virtual classroom. I'll also introduce the first week's material and provide guidance for the week ahead. Each week, there's a short introductory video to get us started.

✨️ Our thrilling biweekly rendezvous via live meetings for 30 to 45 minutes after our initial meeting unfolds like this:

🏳️‍🌈 In our live meetings on Mondays, each teen takes center stage to present a current event they researched based on a new, weekly topic from the LGBTQ+ community. They break down the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" verbally, along with a creative, engaging, and fun slideshow to screen share that sparks curiosity and diverse perspectives. After everyone presents their current event, we'll have social time as a group or in breakout rooms. 

🏳️‍⚧️ The Thursday main live meeting unlocks the next lesson and transforms into a vibrant forum where we explore the previous week’s readings, assignments, and videos. Every student shares a brief, insightful talk summarizing their newly acquired knowledge, items they found to be interesting, and some examples from their answers to the enrichment materials each week. We then head into dynamic breakout rooms where teens exchange ideas and delve deep into thoughtful conversations about the lesson, and share personal experiences if they wish. I circulate among the groups, encouraging questions and enhancing each conversation with additional details and context to empower our learning journey. 

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👀 Sneak Peek Into The Classroom: While the projects are not required, reading all of the material within the project postings is essential and required so that we can all discuss the information in our next live meeting.

📝 NOTE: These enrichment projects aren’t just about completing tasks; they’re also an extension of my teaching. They help you better understand the material in our weekly lessons. You and your fellow campers will be providing answers to my questions in the comment thread of each of my weekly postings under the "Lessons" tab. Then, all campers will go back to both project postings throughout the week to discuss and post additional comments in the thread about each other's answers and talk about the materials in both assignments asynchronously with each other throughout the week. I will also be posting comments in both assignment threads too.

📋 Here’s a quick rundown: Project posts unlock on Thursday Mornings. Current Events unlock on Monday mornings. 

• A. Project 1 answers & discussion: Due Wednesday night.

• B. Project 2 answers & discussion: Due Wednesday night.

• C. Taking notes from the materials in both projects to give your view, understanding, examples, & make a verbal presentation about the lesson in our live meeting: Due on Thursdays for you to share in our Thursday live meetings.

• D. Check, review, comment, & discuss with your peer's comments in the threads for both projects. Due on Thursdays before our live meetings. 

• E. Current Event with Slideshow & Oral Notes: Due on Mondays. Do not post your current event in the current event assignment. You will be presenting your slideshow & oral notes about your chosen news article or video in our Monday live meetings. 

💥 DETAILS ABOUT SCHEDULE ABOVE:

■ A. & B.) 📝 Weekly Projects: Both due by Wednesday night. Time to tackle your weekly assignments! Read and complete both project postings under the 'Lessons' tab only, which may include creating a slideshow video using Canva. Follow the instructions carefully and attach your Canva slideshow video as a FILE. Make a comment on each one of my posts, answering the assignment questions. Everyone will be posting their answers on the same thread for each post. Don’t forget to return to your project answers for both projects using only the 'Lessons' tab to discuss the material & each other's answers asynchronously with your peers for each of the two weekly posts.

■ C. ✍️ Note-Taking: Due before our live meeting on Thursdays. When taking notes from the projects post attachments and videos, here’s a simple approach to keep everything organized and help you prepare for your verbal presentation in the main meeting and in breakout rooms in the next Thursday live meeting:

1. New Knowledge: 🧠 Write down key terms, concepts, or facts that are new to you. Focus on definitions, important dates, and main ideas. Use bullet points or short sentences to capture the essence of what you’ve learned. These notes will remind you of new concepts you want to explain or highlight in your presentation.

2. Interesting Topics: 🌟 As you read or watch, highlight topics or ideas that catch your attention or make you curious. Write a brief note explaining why it interests you or any questions you have about it. This will help you remember what you enjoyed or found intriguing, so you can share your enthusiasm and curiosity with your classmates.

3. Important Discussion Topics: ⚠️ Identify topics that seem significant or that you think should be discussed further. These could be things that are unclear, seem controversial, or connect to other things you’ve learned. Write a few lines about why you think it’s important to bring up and any opinions or thoughts you have about it. These notes will help you remember what you want to discuss or clarify during the live meeting.

4. Real World Connections: 🌎 Find ways to connect your notes to real-world examples! Think about how the topics you're learning appear in everyday life, current events, or history. Write down specific examples to share in your verbal presentation to help everyone see how the material applies beyond the classroom. 

5. Extra Research: 🔍 If you’re curious about something in the class materials and want to do some extra research online, that’s great! Take notes on any additional information you find. This will not only enhance your understanding but also give you interesting points to bring up during your presentation.

Using these steps will help you create useful and personalized notes that will guide your learning and make your verbal presentation in our live meetings more engaging and well-prepared! 📚✨

■ D. ✅️ Check & Review Comments by Your Peers for both projects due by Thursday before our live meetings. Throughout the week, you'll want to see the asynchronous comments within the thread for both project postings. Discuss your peer's answers, ask each other questions, and write about the material in the postings. This is a great free-form way to learn from each other between live meetings. I will also be making comments on each thread!

■ E. 📰 Current Event: Due before our Monday live meetings for you to screen share your slideshow& give your oral report. (Current events for the next week unlock on Mondays). Check the “Current Event” assignment for details.

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Your tuition covers so much to ensure your teen has a fulfilling and supportive learning experience! This includes two weekly live meetings, engaging materials, and exciting projects, all conducted in our virtual classroom. I provide detailed and rich feedback along with more context and examples on each student's answers to the materials posted in our classroom for each week, plan lessons weekly, and give detailed feedback with additional information, details, and examples.

📃 Here's a list of everything I do "behind the scenes" 7 days a week, each week, to support our camp: 

• Provide detailed feedback on every student's projects, adding extra context, information, and examples to enhance learning 📚

• Design fun and educational Kahoot games for our live meetings to make learning enjoyable 🎮

• Carefully plan each week's enriching lessons and projects for posting to the "Lessons" tab in the classroom to ensure meaningful engagement and progress ✍️

• Respond to all parent and student private messages within 24 hours to stay connected and supportive📥

• Prepare and host our biweekly live meetings, where students can interact, ask questions, and deepen their understanding through engaging discussions, plus prepare my mini-lecture for after their shares🗣️

• Create engaging and exciting projects, making our virtual classroom an inspiring place to learn and grow 💼

Your tuition covers all of this and so much more, ensuring your teen has a supportive, fulfilling, and dynamic learning experience! 

I’m fully committed to supporting your teen every step of the way, offering assistance seven days a week! You can count on quick responses to messages within 24 hours, and I’m also available for private, one-on-one video meetings up to two times during the semester, if needed, to provide extra help or guidance. It’s my goal to make sure your teen feels supported and successful throughout the camp! 

📚 As professional educators, we recognize that teens benefit most from interactive sessions, not long or even moderate lectures. We strive to be coaches, guides, and mentors, facilitating meaningful conversations through strategic questioning and creating valuable teaching moments.

🔁 In my camp, I use an exciting blend of both the flipped classroom and open classroom models to create a dynamic and engaging learning experience for your teen! These models are highly effective at helping teens truly grasp the material. The flipped classroom approach means teens come to our weekly live meetings fully prepared by engaging with lesson materials beforehand. During our live sessions, students step into the role of both learner and teacher by giving a verbal presentation on their takes and learnings from the weekly lesson!  

🗣 Teens discuss what they absorbed from the weekly materials through discussions based on their note-taking, sharing what they’ve absorbed from the weekly lesson materials with their campmates. This is such a powerful way for them to solidify their understanding, and it builds the confidence to explain concepts in their own words. It’s so inspiring to see them take charge of their learning! Even better, their presentations allow classmates to pick up on details or perspectives they might have missed. Everyone’s voice is heard in this class, and every student plays an active part in the learning process. 

As they present, I join in to add extra information, clarify key points, or offer additional context, making the discussion lively and interactive. This method not only enhances their communication skills but also reinforces their learning in a way that feels collaborative and fun! 🎓 Watching them grow into mini-experts is truly a rewarding experience for everyone involved! 

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💁‍♂️ Parents will need to assist their teens in setting up their free Canva accounts and guide them in creating slideshow videos. You will also need to help them learn how to download their slideshow videos, save them as an MP4 file, and attach them to their assignments. These tools are user-friendly once learned, and I’ve included detailed instructions in the "Supply List." 

⌛ This camp requires good time management skills and self-motivation as teens will complete the enrichment assignments and discuss them with each other independently and asynchronously from me and from the live meetings. Parents will also need to help their teens with their projects. Your teen is never alone, and I respond promptly, even on weekends, 7 days a week, on the same day or by the next morning! If a longer conversation is needed, I'm available for a private, one-on-one live video meeting up to two times during the semester in the Outschool Classroom for both you and your teen. Just send a message at least 72 hours in advance to schedule.

▶️ The camp is listed as 11 weeks long with 20 meetings, however, we have two final live meetings that are not connected to any lessons. These last two live meetings are to wrap up our camp. Therefore, this is 12 weeks long with 22 meetings. The extra two live meetings can also be used by the teacher as "make-up" days in the very unlikely event that a live meeting has to be cancelled.

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👉 Please encourage your teen to do their projects at a pace that feels comfortable and empowering. While active participation enriches their experience, there’s no pressure to complete more than they can handle. If your teen feels stressed, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable with the workload, please have them reach out to me directly, or you can reach out on their behalf. I’m always here to support them by adjusting the projects, deadlines, or expectations for each individual learner to ensure the class remains enjoyable and rewarding.

⭐ It is CRITICAL that all parents not only read every part of this class listing, but especially the "Parental Guidance" section, please.