In-person Book Launch: THE ADVOCATE EDUCATOR'S HANDBOOK

Please join us for an in-person event welcoming Vanessa Ford and Rebecca Kling to celebrate the release of The Advocate Educator's Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive.

Please note: Pre-registration for this event is required. By pre-registering, you are verifying that you are fully vaccinated and will wear a mask throughout the entirety of the event.

Including a foreword from Dr. Peggy Brookins, President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, The Advocate Educator's Handbook offers a tested framework for educators to use in their journeys to create inclusive classrooms for transgender and non-binary students. Centered on a framework of four principles - educate, affirm, include, and disrupt - this book provides a new way of thinking about inclusivity in the classroom, as well as practical ways to foster students' sense of belonging. The authors bring rich understanding to the topic - Kling as a transgender educator & advocate, Ford as a teacher & parent of a transgender child, and both authors being educators themselves. You'll also read stories from transgender and non-binary students, teachers, researchers, parents, and more, providing unique and important perspectives.

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Vanessa Ford (she/her) is an award-winning educator and author. Her children's book, Calvin, won the 2022 Lambda Literary Award for Best Children’s Book. Ford was a classroom teacher for 14 years in DC Public Schools and her advocacy has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek and NPR. She was a founding member of The Human Rights Campaign’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council and sat for 2 years on the board of the National Center for Transgender Equality. She lives with her husband and two children, one of whom is trans, near Boston. Learn more about Vanessa’s work at http://www.jrandvanessaford.com .

Rebecca Kling (she/her) is an educator, organizer, storyteller, and advocate for social change. Kling served as the community storytelling advocate and director of education programming at the National Center for Transgender Rights, as well as on the leadership team of Harbor Camps, a sleepaway summer camp for trans and non-binary youth. She is also the co-founder of Better World Collaborative, a social impact consulting firm working to combat the recent flood of anti-trans legislation. She lives in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Learn about Rebecca’s work at http://www.rebeccakling.com and http://www.bwcollab.com.

Accessibility: This event will be at the bookstore, which is a wheelchair accessible space on the ground floor. We have an ADA bathroom, adjustable lighting, and reserved parking in the lot behind the store. Face masks are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For ASL Interpretation, reserved seating, or other access requests, please email events@womenandchildrenfirst.com.