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Inclusive Schools and Honest Education

Welcoming and inclusive schools that provide honest, accurate information to students give our children the freedom to pursue their dreams and prepare them to fully participate in a diverse society.

In the summer of 2022, in response to increased attacks aimed at LGBTQ+ students and Black and Brown students, a backlash against inclusive policies, and an exponential rise in book bans, ELC launched our Inclusive Schools and Honest Education initiative. 

We believe that every child deserves an education that prepares them for success, provides a safe and affirming place for learning, and honors their history and experiences.  

Today, there are organized national and local efforts threatening to undermine public schools, dividing parents and communities. These groups are banning books, banning the teaching of accurate history, threatening teachers with lawsuits, and trying to silence LGBTQ+ people and people of color. These actions are happening at school boards and in the state legislature. 

When schools fail to welcome and address the needs of all students, they deprive students of the freedom to be who they are and to learn what they need to meet the challenges they will encounter as adults. This harms all our students and communities. 

Parents, students, faith leaders, business leaders, and community members can work together to protect our schools, support student learning, and fight against these actions.

Individuals and organizations that share these concerns and goals for Pennsylvania schools can join our coalition, Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (PA-WINS), that seeks to unite people working at the state and local level, to create effective strategies to challenge extremists’ use of school board power and legislative policies, and to support efforts to create equitable and inclusive schools that foster belonging and success for all students. 

Learn more about each of our focus areas:

Are you facing any of these challenges in your school district and looking for guidance on next steps? ELC provides materials for parents, students, and community members to use as resources and samples in their advocacy efforts.

Access our resources below for information about school board processes and how to file complaints: 

Use these resources for building antiracist and affirming schools:

Watch our recent trainings and presentations:

Contact us if you have any other specific training needs.

Contact Us:  

ELC provides information, referrals, legal advice, training, and advocacy for families, youth, caseworkers, attorneys, judges, community members, etc. statewide. Contact ELC through our Helpline. We provide information and representation free of charge and request honoraria for most trainings. 

  • Online – To request legal help, please provide the requested information here.
  • By phone – You will be asked to leave a message identifying your question or issue and a phone number where you can be reached.  
    • Eastern and Central PA — 215-238-6970 
    • Western PA — 412-258-2120 
  • By email – [email protected]  

Someone will respond to the message within 2-3 days to gather additional information.  

Media inquiries: Contact Paul Socolar – [email protected]. 

Get Involved:

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