Creating Spaces of Belonging - A Conversation with Dr Emily Meadows

What would it mean for ALL of our young people to feel safe and
that they belong in our schools? This week, it's fantastic to
have Dr Emily Meadows with us on the podcast to talk about
creating spaces of belonging for everyone, but in particular for
LGBTQ+ young people.


Dr. Emily Meadows (she/her) is an LGBTQ+ consultant and published
author specializing in international schools. Emily creates an
environment that is non-judgmental and engaging for her clients,
while taking an intersectional approach that addresses both the
why and the how of inclusion so that educators become confident
and competent supporting LGBTQ+ students. 


In addition to her doctoral degree, Emily holds master’s degrees
in both Sexual Health and Counseling, and has worked as an
international school counselor for over a decade. She researches,
publishes, and trains school communities on equitable policy and
practice, while also teaching for the LGBT Health Policy &
Practice graduate program at George Washington University. 


Emily has developed inclusion standards, referenda, and trainings
for professional organizations such as the New England
Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the National
Association of School Psychologists (NASP), The Fulbright
Commission, the Association for International Educators and
Leaders of Color (AIELOC), the Association for the Advancement of
International Education (AAIE) and the American Psychological
Association (APA). Having spent more than half of her life in
international schools, Emily specializes in culturally-relevant
solutions to promote equity and inclusion worldwide.


Additional resources


Supporting LGBTQ students:
https://www.cois.org/about-cis/perspectives-blog/blog-post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/preparing-lgbtq-students-for-an-overnight-camp 


"Transgender Student Support Toolkit for International School
Counselors": https://iscainfo.com/Transgender-Student-Support


Wheel of Safety and Belonging:


https://www.cois.org/about-cis/perspectives-blog/blog-post/~board/perspectives-blog/post/can-diversity-equity-and-belonging-initiatives-create-division-in-schools-and-a-framework-to-help 


LGBTQ+ Identity Affirmation in International Schools: An Ethical
Framework for Educators:


https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/01614681231194416