Santa Fe Public Schools: Office of Student Wellness
Santa Fe Public Schools: Office of Student Wellness
We know that when students feel included, welcome, and safe to be themselves, they are better able to fulfill their full potential in all areas of their lives, including school. SFPS strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for our transgender and non-binary students through the Office of Student Wellness’s Safe Zones Program and Gender Support Services.
The Safe Zones Program is a critical protective factor for creating safer school environments. By training school staff to recognize and how to interrupt the bullying, harassment, discrimination, bias, inequity, etc., that these students face, we create systems of support for marginalized youth in school. This past school year, 210 participants attended 10 Safe Zones Trainings. We currently have 150 official Safe Zones Partners that have completed the mandatory two-part training series.
The Gender Support Process provides a process for support and education on SFPS policies and resources available to transgender and non-binary students and their families. This process centers the student’s wishes, and empowers the student to decide how they would like to handle decisions such as name/pronouns used at school, bathroom and locker room usage, disclosure to other staff and students, and confidentiality. Training is also provided to administrators and staff on the policy and process, as well as educating on the importance of support for LGBTQ+ students. This past school year, 45 students were supported through formal gender support meetings, and many others were offered ongoing support as needed.
Jenn Jevertson, Assistant Director of the SFPS Office of Student Wellness, shares, “Perhaps my most important role at SFPS is ensuring that every single of our students have the support they need to be their full, authentic selves. It is my true honor and privilege to provide support to trans and non-binary students, as well as their families, so that they have the educational experience that they deserve.”
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited its nonprofit grantees to submit stories related to its June topic of LGBTQ+ Pride.
New Mexico Acequia Association
Youth education and outreach are central to the work of the New Mexico Acequia Association. Through these programs, young people engage with their local acequias and build the skills to become future community leaders.
River Source
River Source supports people advancing watershed stewardship to create significant community engagement and long-lasting impacts for intergenerational learning and ecological restoration. We provide science and policy education and the building of watershed and climate resilience in New Mexico. Our goal is to be weavers, bringing together elders, youth, and land managers to spark action for caring for our water, forests, and land and leveraging the full potential of people working together.
The Art of Generosity: Bienvenidos Outreach
The Art of Generosity — our new editorial series with Table Magazine — shines light on the people and organizations strengthening communities across New Mexico. In this first story, we meet Susan Tarver of Bienvenidos Outreach, whose work reflects how compassion, connection, and everyday acts of generosity can help neighbors meet basic needs and build lasting support systems.
