IGLYO LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme for Members

About this call

Over the last 10 years, IGLYO has been monitoring the development and implementation of LGBTQI inclusive education policies and practices across the Council of Europe region and globally. Through that work, we have been able to identify best practices and assess the extent to which Council of Europe Member States are implementing measures to protect LGBTQI children and youth from discrimination and harassment in schools.

With the aim of supporting our members in their national, regional or local advocacy work in the field of education, we are now launching our LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme. The project will run from late 2024 through the end of 2025. During this time, we will support our member organisations in implementing their advocacy projects to address challenges in their education systems affecting LGBTQI children and youth. Member organisations can apply individually or in a consortium of organisations within the same country. We offer up to €2,000 to assist each of the 4 selected member organisations or consortia in designing and implementing their proposed action plan.

Interested? Read our full call and send us your application through our form by 20 November 2024 at 23:59 CEST!

Objectives

Through the LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme, we aim to support our selected member organisations in implementing advocacy projects that target their national, regional or local context. Member organisations will be in charge of designing and implementing their action plan and request the support they need from IGLYO. The objective is to drive real, positive change in education systems and schools, through strategic policy and research actions.

The scope of the activities proposed by member organisations could include:

Implementing actions at a school level to tackle or prevent school-bullying and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics;
Designing and/or implementing LGBTQI inclusive curricula, through national assessment in formal, non-formal or informal education;
Providing training for educators and other school staff;
Conducting data collection on the experiences of LGBTQI children and youth in educational settings;
Providing support systems for LGBTQI children and youth (such as helplines, psychological services, etc.);
Running advocacy actions to strengthen the policy and legal measures to protect LGBTQI children and youth from discrimination at school, and challenging discriminatory laws;
Designing activities to address anti-gender and anti-rights discourse through education.

Programme Timeline

Phase 1: Identifying Needs and Kick-off (November 2024 – January 2025)

IGLYO will review the applications submitted by our members and support them in designing an action plan to be implemented through 2025. The action plan can include activities that are already being carried out by our member organisations in their national, regional or local context to protect LGBTQI children and youth from violence in schools and create safer and more inclusive education systems.

Phase 2: Action Plan Development (December 2024 - March 2024)

IGLYO will convene a physical meeting with the partners to discuss the priorities of their context and co-design a tailored intervention. During this meeting, IGLYO will also provide information on good practices in other Council of Europe Member States and will put the member organisations in touch with key stakeholders, if required.

Phase 3: Implementation (January – November 2025)

The intervention will be implemented in each country with ongoing remote support. IGLYO will connect partners with other governments and civil society organisations if needed. Mid-term reviews of the progress will be conducted throughout the mentorship process and a mid-term evaluation will be carried out before the end of the project.

Phase 4: Final Evaluation ( December 2025)

A final evaluation will be carried out to assess overall achievement of results and discuss future goals.

Selection Criteria

Only IGLYO member organisations can apply.
The selection process consists of the following elements: a tentative action plan (max. 500 words), and a description of the support needed from IGLYO (max. 500 words). We will assess applications based on these two elements.

We encourage applications from organisations based in countries where LGBTQI inclusive education measures are currently not present, underfunded, not enforced, or at risk from hostile governments.

Practicalities

Member organisations interested in participating in the LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme will:

Be requested to submit their initial draft work plan for IGLYO to review and assess between December 2024 and January 2025.
Be asked to attend an online kick-off meeting, as well as periodical online meetings throughout the implementation phase, and develop and carry out the designated action plan and adjust as necessary.
Be supported to join IGLYO’s international conference on inclusive education, which will be held in June 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Be offered support from IGLYO through, at least, a country visit.
Be offered to attend a networking and policy work trip of all organisations in the programme to Brussels by October or November 2025.
Report to IGLYO on progress and challenges throughout the implementation phase, and provide IGLYO with a final evaluation and assessment report by December 2025.

Benefits for Participants

Member organisations selected to participate in our LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme can expect the following benefits:

In-depth Joint Analysis Mapping and Support Assessment from IGLYO

IGLYO will provide a comprehensive analysis of the country’s inclusive education landscape, helping the member organisation identify its needs and priorities while highlighting areas that need improvement. Good practice examples will be shared to guide this process. To ensure tasks are successfully completed, ongoing advice and support will be available through online meetings.

Country Visit and Mentorship Programme Joint Meeting

IGLYO’s policy and network teams will visit the country to work closely with the member organisation. This includes developing a collaborative action plan, establishing connections with government representatives, and building partnerships with other local civil society organisations. All member organisations working in this programme will also be invited to a meeting in Brussels in October/November 2025.

Invitation to IGLYO’s Inclusive Education Conference in Barcelona

Member organisations will be invited to attend IGLYO’s International Conference on LGBTQI Inclusive Education in June 2025, providing a valuable opportunity to network with a diverse range of stakeholders in the field. Member Organisations will have the chance to build strong working relationships, showcase their work, and connect with a wide array of interested parties.

Financial Support

IGLYO will offer up to €2,000 to assist the member organisation in designing and implementing the proposed action plan. The final amount will be agreed upon with IGLYO depending on the type of work needed in each national context.

How to apply & Application Process

Ready to apply for our LGBTQI Inclusive Education Mentorship Programme for Members? Submit your application through our application form by 20 November 2024 at 23:59 CEST. If you apply as a consortium, you only need to fill out the form only once for all organisations in the consortium.

Between the 20th and 25th of November 2024. Successful applicants from the first round will be notified and invited to a meeting with IGLYO to assess their vision, motivation, experience, and overall proposal.

By 26 November 2024, the final selection of members and countries will be announced. Four countries will be chosen to participate in the programme.