Teenager Launches Global Respect in Education (GRIN) Campaign
About Bedales
Teenager Launches Global Respect in Education (GRIN) Campaign
15/11/2010
Bedales Sixth Form student, Claudia White, has set up 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 held a photo-shoot to promote respect for pupil’s differences and inspire a global campaign to encourage all schools, whether state or independent, to tackle bullying by making it cool to be different and un-cool to be ignorant.
Claudia was driven into action by watching news stories about teenage LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Questioning) bullying and suicide. Claudia has also kept abreast of developments in the US relating to Gay Rights law and finds negative attitudes and laws towards issues such as gays serving in the military unjust. Claudia started to voice her opinions on Twitter and then decided, over half term, to take her views further by founding GRIN Campaign’s website online at www.grincampaign.com with the aim of making being different ‘cool’ in schools.
Within a week of the website going live, Claudia had over 1000 followers on Twitter consisting of a mixture of gay rights activists, political commentators and university lecturers in the US. Claudia has since used GRIN to mark ‘Spirit Day’ – a day when people around the globe wear purple to raise awareness about LGBTQ bullying and suicide and launched the RESPECT photographic protest supported by Bedales staff and students.
Commenting on the RESPECT protest Claudia said: “It is a twenty-first century cyber protest using photos in a fashionable way to show support, acceptance and promote equality for all in education by openly respecting those who are in the LGBTQ community, and those who are ‘just different’. I hope that students are inspired by this campaign and I would be very happy to come and talk to other schools about instilling the RESPECT ethos in their community.”
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.
