Feminism is such an important concept! And even though a lot of parents do a great job of telling their kids about the importance of gender equality and diversity, sometimes it can be really helpful to have another friendly, knowledgeable adult help kids understand that yeah, this is a big deal! 

This class is a chance to introduce young children, ages 6-9, to the basic tenets of feminism. This class includes: 

-introductions of ourselves and modeling the sharing of pronouns ("Hi, I'm Liz, and when people talk about me, they should call me 'she' and 'her.'")
-definition of gender as "the way you know inside whether you are a girl, a boy, or maybe even neither or both!" and feminism as "knowing that everyone is equally important, no matter their gender." 
-explanation of how sometimes, even though we KNOW that everyone has equal value, people aren't treated that way (and a few age-appropriate stories about this kind of unfairness and how it affects kids)
-opportunities for kids to share their experiences with gender discrimination or unfairness 
-a conversation about "what can we do about it?"
-three memorable strategies for what to do when you see/encounter someone being treated unfairly because of their gender
-application to other instances of injustice, including watching for unfairness that is rooted in racism, ableism, or mistreatment of neurodivergent people

This class is taught through a question-and-answer format. Because of the young age of the students, they will be expected to keep their cameras on unless the parent has had a previous arrangement with the teacher. Students will be encouraged to raise their hands and participate; shy students will be encouraged to participate but won't be put on the spot or forced to contribute. 

Teacher's Note:
I love teaching young kids about feminism! Many children have already experienced unfairness based on their gender--I hear in these classes from girls who have been told they can't play sports with the boys, nonbinary kids who have had teachers who refuse to use their correct pronouns, and boys who were judged by their friends for their love of princesses and pink. These classes give kids a place to share and acknowledge the frustration of those experiences, the language to know why those experiences are upsetting, and some strategies for what to do when they happen again. 

This class is taught from an interesectional feminist perspective, so we affirm transgender experiences, recognize that Black Lives Matter, and believe in the importance of making the world a more just place.