Creating a Gender and Sexuality Curriculum for Lower School
An innovative lower school program is creating a foundation for understanding gender and sexuality for Friends Select’s youngest learners.
Several years in the making, this curriculum reflects the school’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment.
“Significant work in gender and sexuality education has been ongoing in our lower school classrooms. Our goal is to create an intentional and cohesive curriculum that unifies and continues building on this foundational work,” said first-grade teacher Sara DeSabato P’34, who has served as clerk of the lower school Gender and Sexuality committee since its inception in 2017. Although an initial curriculum was successfully piloted in 2019, the program paused during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2021, members of the committee proposed a revision and return of the curriculum.
With fellow committee members and lower school teachers Liz Plunkett P’34, ’38 and Alicia Ronquillo, and lower school STEAM librarian Allison Frick, Sara dedicated 50 hours of research to determine a starting point for the return of the program. The team referenced The Sexual Information and Education Council of the United States (SEICUS) National Sexuality Education Standards and the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, both of which provide a framework for age-appropriate, accurate, and inclusive education on gender and sexuality for the reiteration of the lower school curriculum.
Committee efforts resulted in a 40-page curriculum that includes links to lesson plans to help guide faculty. The curriculum introduces students to basic concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation, emphasizing the diversity and fluidity of human experiences. Through stories, activities, and discussions, students learn about the different ways people can express their gender and form relationships. Students have one to two gender and sexuality lessons per month guided by faculty review of curriculum topics, digital book lists, and with communication for families about each lesson’s content and purpose.
The curriculum is organized into six strands, each focusing on a different aspect: anatomy and physiology, gender identity and expression, consent and healthy relationships, sexual health, sexual orientation and identity, and puberty and adolescence. Sara explained, “We identify what topics should be emphasized in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and what key topics to address in third and fourth grades, ensuring that the curriculum’s complexity increases appropriately with each grade level. This approach allows us to introduce new concepts and address what students are most likely experiencing developmentally at each stage.”
Allison has steadily worked to incorporate the curriculum into her library and STEAM programming and to design engaging lesson plans. “Specifically, as a librarian, I work to thoughtfully curate a book collection that reflects all in our community as well as to have books that help students navigate topics they might encounter in the gender and sexuality curriculum,” she said. “A lesson in my class can look like reading a biography of Harvey Milk, discussing the pride flag design, and creating personal flags with colors that hold personal significance. Or, reading a biography of transgender rights activist Sylvia Rivera and discussing her love for community, then using the iPads and the laser cutter to design laser cut valentines.” In June, Allison and Sara presented “Let’s Talk About Sex: Gender and Sexuality Education in Elementary School Using Age-Congruent Literature” at the American Libraries Association Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, CA.
A study by Montclair State University shows that comprehensive sex education can prevent child sex abuse and intimate partner violence, increase appreciation for sexual diversity, and improve environments for LGBTQ+ students. Additionally, starting accurate sex education early enhances students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being, promotes self-awareness and acceptance, reduces stigma and discrimination, and fosters an inclusive school environment. The lower school curriculum helps develop critical social and emotional skills, such as challenging stereotypes, appreciating differences, and building respectful relationships, contributing to a school environment where every student feels valued.
Lower school educators are ultimately creating a safe and supportive space where students can explore ideas, ask questions, and develop empathy and understanding for others. “We want students to be given accurate information from safe, trusted adults, so they have the right information to make the best choices for themselves. It’s important that they understand there are trustworthy adults at FSS, ready to answer their questions without judgment, who are always there to help them,” said Sara. “I have observed a significant shift in the lower school students since we began this work, which reflects a growing culture of kindness, open-mindedness, and inclusivity. Friends Select students already have a heart for activism and social justice, and this work has only strengthened these values.”
