Gender Now Activity Book:School Edition is coming….OUT! (and we want the world to know)
"an indispensable tool in our work to create more gender inclusive and accepting schools"
-Joel Baum, Director, Education and Training, Gender Spectrum
This October 11th celebrate National Coming Out Day with the release of our newest book:
Gender Now Activity Book: School Edition 
Our new activity book contains all the great info from the original coloring book adapted for the public school environment. Meet the Gender Team and learn that there are many ways to feel on the inside no matter what body you have on the outside through stories from nature, history, and different cultures. Did you know that clown fish can change their bodies from boy to girl? Or that in some countries they know there’s not just boys and girls? The Bugis of Indonesia have 5 genders!
Read more or view inside>>>
And, in case you need a little background music while you’re perusing the pages, here’s a classic by Diana Ross:
Filed under Events, General, LGBTQI Families | Tags: acceptance, book release, empowerment, family, fun, gender, GENDER NOW, lgbt | Comment (0)The Power of Claiming Face
In August Maya did a CLAIMING FACE Educator Training through the Arts Council for Monterey County. The participants were bursting with creative energy and passion. After the class, we received this wonderful quote from one of the participants that reminded us why we do this work.
Filed under CLAIMING FACE, Events, Maya in the Classroom | Tags: CLAIMING FACE, creative process, creativity, educators, empowerment, review | Comment (0)I want to extend my deepest appreciation for the training class with Maya Christina Gonzalez. It was just a wonderful experience for me as a mother, artist and teacher.
So many important points were discussed regarding children’s self esteem and feeling like they belong in our world and to participate in our society. I’ve always taught with the underlying intention for children to recognize their place in our world and to feel great about themselves on all levels.
Maya has developed a great program that Continue reading »
International Day of Action for Rivers
While searching the web this weekend, we came across a wonderful blog post by Katy Yan on the International Rivers website about Maya’s latest children’s book, I Know the River Loves Me. Katy says:
This is a great book for a young child or classroom, but it also reminds the rest of us about the power that comes from combining words and art, poetry and paint. The author herself was inspired by the Yuba River in California, along with rivers in India, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Mexico, to share her love of rivers with her daughter and a new generation of river protectors.
This year’s International Day of Action for Rivers on March 14 is all about harnessing creative energy to protect and celebrate our rivers. Take this book and that day to remember that there are still free flowing rivers out there, and that no matter how threatened your river may be, it’s never too late to protect, restore or fall in love with it again.
About the International Day
of Action for Rivers:
On March 14, 2011 unite with communities around the world and take part in the fourteenth Annual International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water and Life. Be inspired to hold your own creative action: Express your love for rivers through music and dance, speak out against human rights violations with paintings and photographs, and call for a better energy and water management model through poetry and words. Find events in your area or create your own.
Read more of Katy’s blog post or learn how you can call and listen to Maya read her book, I Know the River Loves Me.
Filed under Events, General | Tags: celebration, day of action, empowerment, fun | Comment (0)Teachers for Social Justice Conference and Maya’s Open Studios
This weekend in San Francisco is one not to be missed! The Teachers for Social Justice: A Labor of Love Conference starts off the weekend on Saturday from 9am-5pm at Mission High School. This conference is FREE and open to the public. With over 50 different workshops to choose from, this conference is sure to have you coming away inspired and empowered. Maya will be presenting one of her Claiming Face workshops during the morning session from 10:45-12:30. Reflection Press will also be tabling at the event alongside Children’s Book Press so be sure to stop by and say hi.
Workshop registration is done on the day of, on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors open at 8:30am and if there is a workshop that you are particularly excited about, it is recommended that you come at that time to sign up. Learn more about the conference on the T4SJ website or download the full program to start planning your day.
And as a special bonus, this weekend also happens to be the first weekend of Open Studios and Maya will be opening her studio doors to show off her latest Continue reading »
Tales of the Gender Spectrum Conference
We began the Fall with the Gender Spectrum Conference that took place throughout Labor Day weekend. We had jumped on presenting at this conference as soon as we heard it was going to be here in Berkeley. Since we had spent the spring and summer deeply focused on creating our Gender Now Coloring Book, when we finished, we were very eager to join in community with others who were supporting our children in multi-gender expression. In just a few years, the conference has grown from 30 attendees to a couple of hundred. There were numerous presentations, some covering the medical, legal and social aspects, others supportive and insightful.
In my presentation I focused on being aware of the multi-gender expression all around us, how to see it and talk about it with all of our children, not just transgender children. Sharing examples from nature, history, cultures different from our own and even our current world, I talked about how Continue reading »
Filed under Conferences, LGBTQI Families | Tags: conference, empowerment, gender, GENDER NOW, lgbt, reflection | Comment (0)
