Go Rainbow at School
November 21, 2022
Going rainbow at school for IDAHOBIT can make a huge difference in the lives of LGBTQIA+ young people, and it creates important visibility and awareness for your whole student cohort. It's super easy to do it too, whether in classroom, with your school GSA, or as an entire school.
1. Get Started at School
No matter whether your IDAHOBIT activity is big or small, going rainbow at school creates vital LGBTQIA+ awareness, inclusion, and visibility. Start by registering your intention to host an IDAHOBIT activity, and we'll send you our free digital toolkit to help you out and help you get started.
2. Ideas to Go Rainbow at School
Usually the simplest ideas are the most effective, especially if this is your first time hosting an activity. And especially if you're the one doing the organising! We know that often, IDAHOBIT activities are championed by one passionate individual, so we recommend starting simple.
Think about what already works well at your school, or about what's worked well in the past for other similar days. Then add some rainbows! Remember, while IDAHOBIT is on May 17, it's not out of the ordinary to host an IDAHOBIT activity anytime during May.
These ideas have worked great for IDAHOBIT champions in the past:
Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony
Raise the rainbow flag for the day, or week. Not only is it a simple activity, it's also a powerful symbol of allyship and inclusion.
Put Up IDAHOBIT or Inclusion Posters
Sometimes something as simple as putting up posters can make a big impact – especially if they're educational as well.
Host a Morning Tea
In your classroom or as a school, hosting a morning tea can be a great way to gather everyone, and start important discussions.
Create a Display
No time for an event? Create a display featuring LGBTQIA+ definitions and identities – you could even leave a stack of resources or flyers for students to take and read.
Get Your Pride group or GSA Involved
Empower your pride group or GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance, or Gender & Sexualities Alliance) to lead the activity, speak at school assembly, or create a pride display.
Event Tips
Not sure how to get your event off the ground? We've pulled together tips from the experts to help you out.
3. Help us change the world
Fundraising
Make sure your activity has real impact by fundraising. No matter which LGBTQIA+ organisation you're supporting on IDAHOBIT, every gold coin or digital donation makes a huge difference.
Learn more about the ins and outs of fundraising, and the impact you can have.
Create Visible LGBTQIA+ Awareness
Wearing the rainbow flag, displaying posters, or displaying your pronouns, signals to students that you're someone who'll respect their LGBTQIA+ identity. And that your classroom is an inclusive one!
We've made it easy to include rainbows and education as part of your IDAHOBIT activity. Best of all, 100% of net proceeds support our work creating LGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools and communities all year round.
4. Engage in Education
One of the most important ways of fighting discrimination is through education. There’s a lot to understand about LGBTQIA+ inclusion and identities, and IDAHOBIT is the perfect time to learn – for both students and school staff.
Explore LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
Identity and Stats - If LGBTQIA+ identity and inclusion is new to you, you can explore these topics to learn more about the diversity of identities within the community.
People & Stories - Read the stories of those who get involved in IDAHOBIT and stand out against discrimination in their everyday lives.
LGBTQIA+ Allyship - Explore how you can turn your understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities into meaningful acts of allyship.
Join Us Online
Tune into our renowned online LGBTQIA+ inclusion training – solo, or as a staff team. Usually this professional training is only available to whole businesses or large groups, but we've made it available to the public in honour of IDAHOBIT.
Join our Education Team for a judgement-free professional training event, with loads of time for questions throughout.
Related Articles
Make your workplace IDAHOBIT activities a success through visibility, events and ongoing inclusion.
Forge your own path, and use IDAHOBIT to host a fundraiser or awareness activity by yourself.
It's easy to make an impact with your friends or family on IDAHOBIT
It's super easy to start building LGBTQIA+ inclusion on May 17 in the classroom, with your GSA, or as an entire school.