2022 Award Recipient
CameronSamuels
Project KATYISD LGBTQ+ Inclusion Efforts
Project KATYISD LGBTQ+ Inclusion Efforts
Growing up queer, Jewish, and with Tourette’s Syndrome, Cameron understood from an early age the power of inclusive and supportive educational environments. When they realized their school district policies blocked websites to organizations such as the Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Houston Montrose Center, Cameron knew that they needed to organize to make changes.
They launched an inclusion initiative for LGBTQ+ students in the Katy Independent School District, bringing students together to raise awareness and advocate for policy changes by speaking at school board meetings, organizing digitally on social media, communicating with the press, and meeting with district officials. Cameron’s project has been successful in bringing about change in their school district of 90,000 students, including the unblocking of websites such as the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, and GLSEN. Their work continues to expand to students in other school districts in Texas facing similar challenges.
After seeing that resources for LGBTQ+ students were censored on school computers, Cameron launched their effort to bring inclusion for all students in the Katy Independent School District. Cameron brings students together to advocate for access to those resources by raising awareness and advocating for policy changes. By speaking at school board meetings, organizing digitally on social media, communicating with the press, and meeting with district officials, their project has been successful in bringing about change in their school district of 90,000 students and beyond.
