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If there is anyone out there who doubts that anything is possible; who still wonders if dreams can come true; who still questions if their efforts will make a difference, I have an answer for you.

It’s the answer told by pages of comments and emails in numbers I could have never imagined; by people who you’ve never met showing their support, because they believe that this is a time where a difference can be made; that their voice can be part of that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, black, white, African, American, Asian, gay, straight, transgendered, disabled and not - people who are prepared to tell the world that we are not a society that accepts bullying: we are, and should always be, a society united by tolerance.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told repetitively to be cynical, and doubtful, and fearful of what can be achieved to open their mouth and speak up for equality.

It’s been a long journey, but right now, because of this award nomination, this moment of recognition, this chance to excel further, we have an opportunity to bring about change for LGBTQ+ students.

I want to say that whatever happens with this award, I have been humbled by the experience, and by my first year of running GRIN. You have all welcomed my team and I. You have all shared your stories and struggles, you have spoken of dreams, and allowed me the freedom to try and eliminate discrimination.

You have reinforced my dreams, you have inspired me again and again.  You have motivated me.  At times when it has felt like a struggle your support has helped me through.  You fill me with hope for our future and you have reminded me what it is that makes us all so special and unique.  In the places GRIN has gone and the people that we have met, we have been struck by the incredible generosity and decency of children and adults who campaign without complaint, to make our future a better place.

I come away from meeting these people with in incredible sense that if we had a platform from which to unite the people like you, the people as compassionate as GRIN's supporters, that there would be no hurdle that we could not jump over. There is not a future that we could not create.

I have just one request for you, just one. Vote.

Until the 6th November you can vote to earn mentoring that would enable GRIN to expand. To turn the page on the stories of bullying and inequality.  Until the 6th you can choose to give me the mentoring that would so greatly help GRIN in developing into a fully fledged multi-national charity. To create new outlets, develop new ideas, and expand on what we have done thus far, allowing everyone to live in a society where they feel respected. Not just the “popular” footballer, but the scientist and the musician; not just the cheerleader, but the students who work day in-day out to achieve a better life for themselves. Until the 6th you can help to put an end to the discrimination that divides our societies and makes many feel isolated; that causes students to feel inferior, and that costs lives.

From now until the 6th November, during this great opportunity, you have a vote that can help bring about the change that our society so desperately needs.  It starts now.  This is when change commences.

Founding GRIN, I have been privileged in witnessing the best of humanity, in the stories, in the support, and in the smiles of children and adults who I have met from across the globe, all excited by the opportunity to bring about change. They want it for their generation. They want it for the future.  Hate may have a loud voice, but the people that I’ve met have sung so beautifully, so loudly, that at times they are all I hear.

That’s how GRIN has succeeded.  It shows what one voice can do. And that voice when joined by it’s supporters - by people like - becomes infinitely louder.  It can change a student, it can change a school.  It can change a society, it change change the world.  It can change lives.

Your voice can change lives. Between now and the 6th, if you are willing to click here, if you are willing to tell that one other person to do the same. If you are willing to stand with me, if you are willing to fight with me, I know your voice will be heard.

So I have just one question for you, Are you ready to be heard? Ready to speak up? Ready to vote?

Let’s go change the world:

http://www.ambitionaxaawards.com/content/community/claudia-white

Thank you

To achieve educational equality we must all unite as one giant, living, breathing organism travelling towards the same destination.  Although the journey may seem long, when we look back we realise just how far we have come.  Our achievements along this journey are shared.  When we look to those beside us we know that they too have had a long and at times difficult journey.  We congratulate them on how far they have come but keep our eyes on the destination.

At times it may seem as if we have not achieved enough, we have still not reached our destination, but this does not mean that we have not had successes.  To everyone on this journey towards educational equality, I would like to congratulate you on your successes this far. 

This week GRIN Campaign has made strong connections with Dunhurst, and we cannot wait to start engaging younger students in the topics of respect and equality.  I believe that the youth of today will grow up to be the generation of tomorrow; if we can teach acceptance and equality to today’s youth we then we can achieved a more respectful and tolerant generation for tomorrow.

These sorts of achievements are long term and require commitment; we can sometimes feel so passionate about finishing this journey that we don’t acknowledge our achievements so far. 

On Wednesday I received a message that I had been nominated for the Life in Petersfield Magazine’s Young Achiever award.  It made me realise quite how far GRIN Campaign has come and how much I have actually achieved in the short few months since I started campaigning. 

On Friday I went to Petersfield to be photographed, I was excited yet still aware of the cold wind on my cheeks.  When I arrived at the square there was a jolly crowed of photographers and nominees gathered around waiting for instruction.  One by one we were taken to a different part of the square to pose for our photo.  As I lent against the black metal railing and posed for my photo, I realised the beautiful irony of the situation.  I was being photographed in part because of my photographic campaign.  There appeared to be some quaint universal symmetry about this.

Once photographed I was informed about the plans for the black tie award dinner and inquired about who else was in my category.  It was at this point that I was told that only three nominations out of hundreds had made it through this far.  I was filled with an immense feeling of joy and sense of pride, a sense of pride that I share for everyone else on this journey.

Although there is a long way still to travel, I am incredibly grateful to everyone for supporting me and nominating me for this amazing award.  I look forward to continuing to travel with you all in the future and I thank you for how far we have come.

A festive spirit filled the air during the last week of the Christmas term; I knew that this signified the inevitable parting of GRIN Campaign for the Christmas holidays.  As I walked with a friend down the Red Brick Path it became clear to me.   Clear that GRIN Campaign had the potential to go public.

I arrived at my destination, an empty classroom in which GRIN Campaign members often congregate to discuss the future.  I made the announcement as I walked through the door.

“We are going to hold out first public photo-shoot in the last week of the holidays.”

As per usual, my announcement was treated as perfectly rational, no questions, just excitement.  It was decided in that moment, and unanimously agreed upon, that we would hold a sleep-over in the first week of the holidays for planning, and execute our plans in the last.

After a mad rush of ensuring all that necessary tasks were completed we parted for the holidays.  For me, the first week consisted of press interviews, campaign maintenance and developing our primary and elementary school educational package and lesson plans.  The sleep-over was a great success, and despite being one man down, we organised the whole shoot.

Thursday the 6^th of January, 2011, a date that I will never forget.  It was the date of our first public photo-shoot.  Brighton was the chosen location, a coastal town on the East Sussex coast know for its varied culture and liberal attitudes towards acceptance and diversity.  I arrived to a loud drum-role of rain on the pavement, men and women with smart attire dashed past me on their way to work.  Guided only by a mental image, I walked through the monsoon. 

Reverb Radio breakfast show was first on the agenda, second was Spirit FM.  After a morning on air, I took refuge at the Thistle Hotel, the kindly donated venue for our photo-shoot.  The hotel was a spectacular place with a wonderful atmosphere and fantastic staff.  I sat glued to my phone behind my MacBook in a long line of middle-aged business men; I outstayed all of them, working solidly the whole time.

As 5:00pm drew near the other campaign members arrived and we set up in the Noblesse Room of the hotel – a large, well lit room used mainly for conferencing.  We were ready just in time.  People started arriving, they were ready to stand up and be counted in the fight against educational discrimination. 

As the event progressed we made some wonderful contacts and took some fantastic photographs.  These will be added to the RESPECT photos already on our website and will help to create the viral social-media protest that we envisage.

I would like to thank everybody involved and all those who gave up their free time to volunteer for our highly successful event.  I have learnt how amazing compassion and generosity is as a virtue to the human species and I will campaign until this virtue is apparent globally in all educational institutes.

Bedales sixth form student, Claudia White, has launched an online campaign called GRIN (Global respect in Education) to change the way sexuality and ‘being different’ is viewed in schools – from a cruel reaction to a cool reaction.
Assisted in her campaign by friends and teachers at Bedales, Claudia has been on the campaign trail over the past few months enlisting support for the concept.

Since founding GRIN Claudia has already raised enough money to cover her costs through donations and her online shop selling branded t-shirts, mugs and caps. Her next goal is to roll-out an education programme to spread the message of GRIN Campaign in schools and to introduce RESPECT in both the US and the UK, showing support for vulnerable children and teenagers through lectures and literature.

During the Christmas holidays, Claudia and a few fellow Bedales students organised a protest photo-shoot in Brighton on the 6th Jan with support from the local council and community organisations to help spread the GRIN message. 

Watch out for forthcoming blog posts from Claudia as she reports on the success of the photo-shoot and the campaign.