Resources for LGBTQIA+ Students
Please know that this webpage is a work in progress, and we need your feedback to help us expand on and improve it! If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, please complete our online feedback form.
Affirming and supporting our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Plus (LGBTQIA+) youth and staff of the Ithaca City School District are vital. Put simply, we believe
every child has the right to feel safe, welcomed, and affirmed in our community. This page provides specific information and resources for our young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, as well as for the caregivers and educators who support them.
Resources for All
Schools in Transition
This joint publication outlines many strategies and supports for students, staff, and families:
Schools In Transition - A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools.
Dignity for All Students (DASA) Reporting Form
Use the form linked below to report alleged harassment, hazing, or bullying that occurred on school property, at a school-sponsored activity or event, on or off school property, on a school bus, or on the way to and/or from school. Completed forms can be returned to the principal, associate principal, or DASA Coordinator at the students' school.
For a list of ICSD Dignity Act Coordinators, an overview of the district's DASA protocol, and more, visit
ithacacityschools.org/DASA.
Pronoun Stickers
Resources for Students
For students who are experiencing harassment or assault due to their gender identity, expression, sexual orientation: Please know
there are places you can turn.
Click here to visit our harassment and assault response and prevention page.
For students who are transgender, gender-expansive, non-binary: Support is available to all students who are transitioning. Reach out to your teacher, social worker, counselor, psychologist, or administrator (Educator for Inclusion, Principal, Associate Principal) to talk more or get connected to someone you feel most comfortable talking with. The staff directory for all schools can be found
here, and a list of contacts is available below for your convenience.
ICSD Name and Gender Change Form
Use this form to officially change name and gender in our student information systems.
Please return this form to the district registrar or in-person at the registrar's office at the IHS welcome center. Please note: Changing one's name in SchoolTool can have broader ramifications for things like FAFSA or anything where school info is reported. The school will only post the child by their preferred name so if a legal name change has not happened the disconnect between the two can cause delays and confusion in some situations.
Changing Name and Pronouns in Canvas
Follow these instructions to make shifts right in Canvas yourself.
Local and National Resources
Resources for Educators
NYSED Guidance for School Districts
In 2015, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) released guidance to assist school districts in fostering an educational environment for all students that is safe and free from discrimination - regardless of sex, gender identity, or expression - and to facilitate compliance with local, state and federal laws concerning bullying, harassment, discrimination, and student privacy:
Guidance to School Districts for Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment For Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students.
ICSD Anti-Marginalization Units of Study
Additional Educator Resources
Resources for Caregivers
District Contacts and Support
District Contact
Mary Grover, Inclusion Officer
mary.grover@icsd.k12.ny.us
607-342-8748
