Something Awesome is a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) group of passionate students and two teacher leaders, Ms. Lane and Ms. Lusk, at Seymour Heights Elementary.
The group meets to promote inclusion and spread awareness about LGBTQ+ topics within the school community. The group consists of eleven Grade 6/7 students, Shyloh, Rasta, Hanna, Emma, Sofia, Liv, Thea, Maddy, Ima, Syd, and Sienna.
In October, the group celebrated LGBT History Month. The group researched and learned about notable figures who are historically overlooked for their accomplishments and contributions within the LGBTQ+ community.
There is a communal sense of pride within Something Awesome for conducting this research and sharing it with peers through hallway displays. Students, teachers and staff have reported they enjoyed learning about the people on display.
When the group formed, members felt it was important for the school community to have a better understanding of SOGI and what the Something Awesome group stands for. Using primary and intermediate appropriate resources, they presented on diversity and inclusion in small groups to all divisions within the school.
Last year, they hosted a fundraiser for The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focused on supporting young people in a crisis who need a safe and judgement-free place to talk. They made melty bead rainbows, handmade rings, bead twisters and bracelets, and donated the money raised directly to The Trevor Project.
The Something Awesome Group hopes to have more students join them to help with future fundraising activities, research projects and spreading awareness and knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community.
This story has been reproduced with permission from School District 44 (North Vancouver). The original posting can be found here.