PRIDE – Christopher House

Tag: PRIDE

Creating Brave Spaces at Christopher House: A Conversation with our School Counselor

Written by Cora Butrum on June 27, 2024. Posted in DBEI, Insights & News. Leave a Comment

Christopher House works to create warm, welcoming, and safe learning environments that encourage our scholars, teachers, families, and staff to show up each and every day as their authentic selves. Each member of our community is vital in creating and maintaining these brave spaces, and Jose Valencia, Elementary School Counselor, is no exception.

Joining the Christopher House community at the start of the 20230-2024 school year, Jose dove in with two feet, assisting scholars in academic improvement plans, consulting 8^th graders on which high schools might best fit their life interests, and offering counsel on obstacles faced by Elementary School-aged students today. Through his ongoing work, his passion for helping children and his dedication to our local community has shown through every step of the way.

In honor of PRIDE month, we sat down with Jose to discuss the importance of identity, love, and acceptance for Elementary School scholars, and how he works to support this in his unique role. He had these words to share:

Q. In your own words, can you explain the significance of PRIDE month?

“PRIDE month is important for us to know and celebrate because of the important gains and hardships that people in the LGBTQIA+ community have been through historically and are still experiencing. PRIDE month also gives individuals a time and place to come together and connect through a shared identity and move forward together.”

Q. Why is PRIDE month, and by extension, the celebration of diverse forms of love and identity, important for Elementary and Middle School scholars?

“PRIDE month is important for scholars because the elementary and middle school years are so formative in their creation of their identities. Schools have a responsibility to provide awareness, knowledge, and resources to community members so youth and their families know that their thoughts and feelings are universal. At Christopher House, our goal is for everyone to feel welcome, accepted, and celebrated as important members of the Christopher House community.”

Q. What impact can educators, social workers, and leaders have on students and the community when it comes to PRIDE?

“We can impact the community in meaningful ways. During the middle school years, youth are going through significant physical, cognitive, and social changes so it makes sense that they and their families would have all sorts of questions about their identities. It is important for adults to provide students with healthy environments where they feel safe and included. If someone does not feel welcome, they most likely won’t feel safe or valued either. They won’t be able to maximize their learning and they might adopt maladaptive social/emotional coping strategies. One way to ensure scholars feel seen and welcome is by posting visuals such as a PRIDE flag or pictures and facts about historical figures in the LGBTQIA+ Movement.”

Q. In your role, how do you work to spread love and acceptance within the Christopher House community?

“As a school counselor, I aim to be a positive force at Christopher House by being available to students, families and colleagues. I do my best to spread wellbeing by providing educational resources on potential options for the future, recognizing student/staff accomplishments, and helping others who might not be feeling like their best, authentic selves. My hope for educational institutions is that they continue to be pillars of the community and places that innovate learning. We need to continue to keep pace with shifting societal trends and student/family needs, while staying true to our mission of educating the whole child/family.”

“The Importance of PRIDE” from Christopher House RIDE Committee

Written by Cora Butrum on June 22, 2023. Posted in DBEI, Thought Leadership. Leave a Comment

The Christopher House RIDE (Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) committee promotes inclusion, equity, and diversity across our family of schools, which include Infant and Preschool, Elementary and Middle School, After School, and Parent School. The committee meets monthly to discuss issues related to race, inclusion, diversity, and equity in the news and at Christopher House, and is made up of three subcommittees – Diversity, Health Equity, and Inclusion.

DIVERSITY

Our goal is to honor, educate on, and celebrate the diverse cultures that make up the Christopher House community, including our scholars, families, teachers, staff, and surrounding neighborhoods (Belmont Cragin, Uptown, and Logan Square).

“We are looking to support and educate our colleagues about the issues that oppressed people in our country may face, and this includes members of the LGBTQ+ community. We believe supporting education in PRIDE month is important, because PRIDE is really about identity and the right to openly express one’s identity. We need to accept people for how they identify themselves. Children, families, and staff need to understand that different people perceive themselves in different ways and that is okay. It is just as important for LGBTQ+ children to see themselves represented as it is for children of different races and ethnicities. As our children are figuring out who they are, we want Christopher House to be a place of nurturing and acceptance for them and their families. I think the same can be said for our LGBTQ+ colleagues. There is a lot of overt oppression of the LGBTQ+ community happening around our country, and we want Christopher House to be a safe space for everyone.”

HEALTH EQUITY

Our goal is to build community and social engagement opportunities across CH schools and locations that support all facets of wellness.

“Inclusive practices are fundamental in creating supportive learning environments where each and every child feels respected, accepted, welcomed, and valued. We are working to build up a community in which all children and families ultimately have equitable opportunities, and this begins with celebrating our community members for who they are. Celebrating PRIDE month for our children, families, staff, and community is important because it is a celebration of being proud of being your authentic self. Building this confidence and feeling like you are heard and seen will ultimately positively impact the well-being and academic success of students and families.

INCLUSION

Our goal is to help foster an inclusive work culture where staff can be true to themselves, feel they belong at CH, and be celebrated and recognized for their work.

“The Christopher House Inclusion Committee was formed with the intention of creating opportunities and a platform for every member of the Christopher House community to know that not only are they a part of something, but that each individual, whether a scholar, family member, or staff member, are an integral contributor to the organization. One definition of inclusion is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. At Christopher House, it is our mission to ensure that NOBODY feels excluded and that everyone has the opportunity for equal access – this includes ALL members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Inclusion subcommittee is continuing to work to come up with different ways to ensure that this mission is being delivered on each and every day.”