If you’re looking to better understand LGBTQ+ culture including how to provide a “safe zone,” use of pronouns, and a deeper understanding of deconstructing gender, check out The Village Project, by The Project of the Quad Cities.
The three-part training is written by outreach coordinator Viminda Shafer and can be taken altogether, or one segment at a time. Shafer will visit any organization of any size within TPQC’s 40-county service area, and will also provide Zoom sessions for those outside of that 40-county area who are interested.
“We realized that in order to dismantle discrimination and end stigma, we’re going to have to go in through the lens of education,” says Shafer about how the program began. She and other presenters have already appeared before several groups and will be adding four more “modules” coming up that venture into sex education and body positivity.
Shafer taught students of all ages over 30 years and says her diverse experience helps her customize “The Village Project” based on her audience’s characteristics.
“I’m able to blend teaching philosophies that I learned in my academic life with lived experience,” says Shafer. “It matters because we know that there are different learning styles. There are different ways people learn.”
If your group or private business is interested in seeking a presentation from The Village Project, contact Shafer at Viminda@tpqc.org. A donation is requested, but Shafer says TPQC will work with groups for whom making a donation is not really plausible.
