Allyship Training
Our Allyship Training programs are designed for any organization who wants to provide training for their team (employees, administrators, volunteers) on how to better support folks in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community! We have a wide range of programs discussing topics such as gender, sexuality, microaggressions, pronouns, allyship, and more.
FAQs About Allyship Training
Who should take a program?
Anyone — our programming is geared towards folks who are queer, allies of the queer community, and those who want to be (better) allies. We especially encourage people who work with ‘the public’ to take part in our training programs, such as businesses, non-profit organizations, governments, client care personnel, teachers, churches, community leaders, and more.
Are your programs customizable?
Yes! You can choose whatever sections you would like to have included based on your interests and the length of time you have available. For example, if you were looking for more of a foundational program and you only had two hours, you could choose “Gender 101”, “Sexuality 101”, and “Pronouns & Misgendering”.
Can my organization do this over multiple sessions, or does it have to be on one day?
We recognize that getting everyone together for a full-day training can sometimes be challenging; thus, we do offer programming in smaller or block chunks. If, for instance, you were to want to have all level one, two, and three programs, we could do this in an eight-hour training day, or over three different days.
What dates/days do you facilitate programs?
Our team offers flexible scheduling, including weekdays, weekends, and evenings as long as we have enough notice. We strongly encourage you to reach out at least two weeks before you hope to have the training, but the earlier the better, as our schedules do fill up fairly quickly!
Where do these training programs take place?
We are happy to facilitate in-person programs at your organization (travel costs must be covered). We also facilitate programs virtually via Zoom; whatever makes sense for your organization!
Is there a cost?
Our team puts a lot of time and energy into developing programming that addresses various topics within the queer and trans community. This is a significant amount of emotional labour, both in the program development and in facilitation. Thus, at this time, we do not have the capacity to provide free programming, nor do we have any grants to support free programming. However, we do offer sliding scale options for different organizations (e.g. non-profit, classes), and we do our best to ensure equitable access to this education. If you are interested in booking a training, please reach out to us so that we can further discuss any financial considerations.
What does a program look like?
Our training programs are highly interactive; each section includes some type of interactive activity such as journaling, discussion questions, or other fun, out-of-the-box activities that we won’t spoil! Our programs are designed to provide a balance between content, videos, activities, and time for questions.
How can I book a program?
Simply fill out the request form linked at the top of the page, and our team will get back to you within 3 business days. In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to send us an email, at: info@rainbow-allyship.org.
Allyship Training Programs Offered
Our training programs are split into four levels ranging from basic (level one) to specialized (level four). Each level has three to four different sections offered.
If you are interested in learning more about what is included in each of the available programs, click the button below to read some of the guiding questions that we used while creating the program content.
Level One Programs
The goal of our level one programs is to provide a foundational level of knowledge as related to gender, sexuality, transitioning, and the Pride community. This level is good for people who have not had previous 2SLGBTQ-training, or, have not had any training within the past two years.
Maximum Duration of Level One Programming: 2 hours
Programs Offered:
Queer History & Terminology 101
Gender 101
Sexuality 101
Transitioning 101
Level Two Programs
The goal of our level two programs is to discuss queerness in relation to society. This includes exploring how different experiences of identity can influence experiences of oppression, and examining the ways in which queer people are victimized both interpersonally and systemically. This level is good for people who have some foundational knowledge about the queer community and want to have a better understanding of the unique challenges faced by queer folks.
Maximum Duration of Level Two Programming: 3 hours
Programs Offered:
Intersectionality & Privilege
Stereotypes & Microaggressions
Construction of “Norms”
Challenging Anti-Queer & Anti-Trans Misinformation
Level Three Programs
The goal of our level three programming is to discuss how we can each better support queer people, including within our individual lives (through use of language and pronouns), for people we care about (e.g. queer loved ones), and on a societal level (as advocates and accomplices). This level is good for people who want to understand the different ways we can affirm, celebrate, and support queer people.
Maximum Duration of Level Three Programming: 3.5 hours
Programs Offered:
Inclusive Language
Pronouns & Misgendering
Unconditional Love
Advocates, Allies & Accomplices
Level Four Programs
Level four is a bit different from previous levels, as it consists of specific specializations geared towards people who live/work within certain roles and communities. The goal of this level is to discuss how to support queer people within the different roles/communities in which we serve.
Each specialization has a different recommended audience based on the topic. There is the primary specialization (e.g. Rainbow Service Providers), with optional add-ons to allow organizations to specifically customize their programming based on the goals/interests of the organization.
Programs Offered:
Rainbow Service Providers
Rainbow Classrooms
Rainbow Churches