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Creating safe spaces for LGBT students and their allies is crucial, and hosting a GSA Day is one step toward that safety. Find out how Oakland Unified School District got it done.

Divisive fundraisers make schools unsafe for kids from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Supporting trans and gender-fluid students requires the courage to try until you get it right.

A Council of All Beings is a great way to have your students develop caring attitudes toward the natural world and each other.

The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq marked my first year of teaching. When one of my students referred to Iraqis as “towel heads,” I told him he had to do extra homework researching turbans and present a report to me the next day. It took him a week to complete the assignment, and instead of gaining insight and compassion for a different group of people, he probably just became more resentful. I now see this as a lost opportunity. As a precursor to our social studies unit on conflict in the Middle East, I taught a unit this year on world religions. We started off studying seven of the world’s major faiths and then narrowed it down to the three Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

One of the simplest ways to foster compassion and understanding in our classrooms is to give students opportunities to share stories about their lives. By communicating and listening, students can break down stereotypes and see each other as real people. This can be done through curriculum-related projects such as personal narrative and poetry or as part of a daily class meeting.

Documentary films can expose students to the world—and inspire them to change it.

Five years after the tragedy that shook our nation, the people of Columbine High School reflect on growth and healing.