Education
LGBTQ+ History Education
CHECK OUT THE LATEST FROM OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS!
ONE Inc, ONE Institute Quarterly, Spring 1959. Periodicals collection, ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.
One Institute produces innovative education programming and resources on that empower educators and students to bring LGBTQ+ history into classrooms and communities, strengthening academic skills and youth well-being.
Our professional development opportunities and standards-aligned lesson plans support K-12 teachers to expand historical analysis in their curricula and create affirming, empathetic learning environments. Our youth programs incubate scholarship, mentorship, and leadership among high school students as they analyze primary sources from the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries; conduct oral histories with LGBTQ+ elders; complete history workshops with queer and trans scholars, artists, and community leaders; produce creative projects that connect past and present; and explore career paths in the humanities and advocacy.
As a leader of the Rainbow Education Coalition Los Angeles, One Institute advocates for safer and more inclusive environments for all students, staff, and families in the Los Angeles Unified School District. As a member of the advisory committee for the California Department of Education’s PRISM Project, we have played a key role in developing LGBTQ+ inclusion training mandated, for all California teachers and other certificated staff serving grades 7 through 12.
We provide professional development, youth workshops, and event tabling on a case-by-case basis. For inquiries about our education and advocacy initiatives, email Trevor Ladner, Director of Education Programs, at [email protected].
For inquiries on visits to the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, contact the archives staff at [email protected].
Youth
One Institute mentors and educates an annual cohort of high school students from across Los Angeles County to become Youth Ambassadors for Queer History in their schools and communities. From September to January, Youth Ambassadors examine LGBTQ+ history in bi-weekly workshops and develop creative projects from their research in the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. Since 2024, we award scholarships to students who complete the program, courtesy of our partners at the Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance.
Youspeak Radio (2021 to 2024) showcases eighteen youth-led audio stories of queer and trans activism by California LGBTQ+ elders— from HIV/AIDS and gender-affirming care to electoral firsts and transformative artistic practice.
K-12 Teachers
Our instructional resources and professional development advance implementation of California’s FAIR Education Act. The 2011 law, amended in 2023, requires that the experiences and contributions, both historical and contemporary, of the LGBTQ+ community, people of all genders, people of color, and immigrants are positively included in history/social studies instruction, from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
In partnership with classroom teachers, we produce K-12 lesson plans, using primary sources from the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, that are aligned to Common Core standards and California’s History-Social Science Framework. These resources are developed in collaboration with our partners at the UCLA History-Geography Project and the LA LGBT Center in summer teacher symposia.
Our annual Pride Month Educators’ Social at One Gallery in West Hollywood provides an affirming, productive space for K-12, higher education, and community educators to network, discuss challenges, and share resources for teaching and advocacy.
Community
Through Queer History @ Work, we partner with companies and organizations that support diversity and equity, and foster inclusive work environments, to offer engaging presentations on LGBTQ+ history, featuring archival sources.
We produce high quality and visually-engaging History Panels that educate various audiences about LGBTQ+ history and culture.
Advocacy & Policy
The Rainbow Education Coalition Los Angeles (RECLA), established in 2019, is a grassroots campaign with a mission to to create safe and inclusive environments for all students, staff, and families in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Our growing coalition is comprised of One Institute, Educators for Excellence, Gender Justice LA, GSA Network, LA LGBT Center, Latino Equality Alliance, Rainbow Labs, REACH LA, and the Women’s Leadership Project. Follow RECLA on Instagram for updates: @r.e.c.la.
Past Projects
Our Webinar Series for Educators (2020-2022) provided virtual workshops on teaching LGBTQ+ history for K-12 teachers, through the Covid-19 pandemic. These webinars were presented in collaboration with our vast network of educators and community partners.
The LGBTQ Research Fellowship Program (2018-2019) supported a score of scholars, graduate students, curators, and independent researchers to do research at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. The From the Reading Room blog features our fellows’ reflections on researching and teaching LGBTQ+ history.
Upcoming Education Events
Made possible through collaborations with:
In the Press
- LGBTQ Nation: “Queer educators unveil 10 new LGBTQ+ lessons for California public schools,” June 2025
- WEHO TIMES: “One Institute’s ‘The Home We Build’ Exhibit Showcases LGBTQ+ Youth Ambassadors,” Feb. 2025
- LA Times: “Sir Lady Java, pioneering transgender performer and activist in L.A. nightclub scene, dies,” Nov. 2024
- LA Blade: “One Institute hosts exhibition featuring works by LGBTQ+ students,” Jan. 2024
- Bay Area Reporter: “LGBTQ+ trailblazers on new radio episodes,” July 2023
- USA Today: “Kids aren’t learning LGBTQ history. The Equality Act might change that,” March 2021
- The 74: “The State of LGBTQ Curriculum: Tide Is Turning as Some States Opt for Inclusion, Others Lift Outright Restrictions,” June 2019
- LGBT News Now: “Unique Partnership Focuses on LGBTQ Lesson Plans for CA Schools,” Dec. 2018
- EdSource: “Marriage ruling may boost school climate for LGBT families and students,” July 2015
Kent Garvey, “One’s Community Youth Education Project at the Christopher Street West Pride parade in Los Angeles,” June 1983. Kent Garvey photographs, ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.