ACT Safe and Inclusive Schools (SAIS) Initiative
Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT is proud to work with ACT schools and education programs, health and community organisations to deliver the ACT Safe and Inclusive Schools (SAIS) Initiative. The Initiative works with whole school communities, educational systems and community agencies to build upon the already existing values of social responsibility, respectful relationships, and inclusion of diversity. The focus is on helping schools to work with all students to create, maintain and value safe, supportive and inclusive educational environments for everyone. The SAIS Initiative offers assistance ACT schools and education programs in meeting their legislative, education frameworks and policy requirements as they apply to gender presentation/identity, intersex status or sexual orientation. The SAIS Initiative supports those school communities that identify that they could benefit from the supports the Initiative provides.
The Initiative is supported and funded by ACT Government Education Directorate with the goal that schools and educational programs within the ACT are safe, inclusive environments for all students regardless of their gender presentation/identity, intersex status or sexual orientation. For schools in the ACT, this includes building the capacity of school staff to support individual student needs, welcoming and celebrating community and family diversity, and building school cultures where prejudice, discrimination, harassment or violence is unacceptable on the basis of gender presentation/identity, intersex status or sexual orientation.
The Initiative has been shaped with a wide range of local Canberra stakeholders, including parent representative organisations, health and community services providers, teachers, school leaders, and the Education Directorate.
More information, including Factsheet resources for schools, parents/carers, and secondary school students, can be found at www.saisact.info