April 9, 2025
Mark your calendars for an interactive workshop on Wednesday, May 14, from 6-8 PM in the Family Commons that will provide MPA parents and staff with the tools and language they need to be supportive allies to LGBTQ+ community members at MPA! This event is being hosted by MPA’s Rainbow Club and Gender Inclusive Schools. Please RSVP here!
Together, we will practice responses to challenging questions on LGBTQ+ topics and explore ways to communicate affirmation and celebration of LGBTQ+ community members visibly.
Basic definitions for LGBTQ+ terms will be provided along with age-appropriate resources to facilitate positive and accurate discussions with your family about gender identity and sexual orientation at home.
About Gender Inclusive Schools
Dave Edwards is a queer person, author, and career educator who has served in almost every role in PreK–12 school communities: special education paraprofessional, special education teacher, middle and high school classroom teacher, special education coordinator, dean of students, and assistant head of school. Dave was the lead instructor for the nontraditional teacher licensure program in emotional and behavioral disorders at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a professor in the teacher preparation program at Hamline University before devoting his efforts full-time to Gender Inclusive Schools.
Dave is the proud parent to a transgender daughter. The discrimination she experienced in kindergarten led to his vocation of helping school communities create safe learning environments, which in turn informs “Gender-Inclusive Schools: How to Affirm and Support Gender-Expansive Students.” He serves on the board of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, and his family is heavily involved with Transforming Families Minnesota. Dave has been quoted by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, NBC News, and Into. He lives in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, area. His book, “Gender Inclusive Schools: How to Affirm and Support Gender-Expansive Students,” was published in the fall of 2024.
About the Rainbow Club
The Rainbow Club is an LGBTQ+ affinity group for MPA parents and staff. What began as a small group of Lower School community members is expanding to include Upper and Middle School parents and staff. This group serves the community as a positive and safe space to talk about allyship, advocacy, sharing resources, and so much more!
We hope you will join us for this important event! Contact Rachael Weber at rachweb89@gmail.com with any questions.
