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The Safe Zone Project

The Safe Zone Project

The Safe Zone Project is a free online resource for powerful, effective LGBTQ+ awareness.

  • Online

Pricing: Free

Origin: Developed elsewhere but applicable for Australian schools

Affiliations: US-based

Product type: Program; Online resources (e.g. videos, games, tools, readings); Activity sheets; Professional learning; Learning modules

Contact details

The Safe Zone Project

https://thesafezoneproject.com

yo@thesafezoneproject.com

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Mental health literacy and life skills

  • Self-esteem and body image

  • Respectful relationships and consent education

Curriculum alignment

Prospective users

Audience: Whole school universal (Tier 1), Whole class universal (Tier 1), Targeted small group early intervention (Tier 2)

Communities: Rainbow and LGBTQIA+

Context: School or centre-based, E-schools

Main beneficiaries: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12, Educators

Delivery style: Classroom teacher is trained; Student, self-directed

Aims & approach

Aims

  • Promote understanding of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences.
  • Equip individuals and schools to create inclusive, respectful environments.
  • Provide accessible, high-quality training materials for educators and learners.

Approaches

  • Self-Guided Learning: Offers online courses for individuals to explore gender, sexuality, and LGBTQ+ topics at their own pace.
  • Facilitator-Led Training: Includes a foundational 2-hour curriculum with a facilitator guide, plus resources for train-the-trainer programs.
  • Community Empowerment: Encourages schools to lead their own Safe Zone trainings using customisable materials.
  • Free Curriculum: Downloadable and adaptable for various audiences.
  • Support Materials: Includes handouts, printables, and recommended readings/videos.
  • Global Reach: Used by over 25,000 educators in 100+ countries.

Implementation support

  • Ongoing helpdesk, email or phone support

Evidence

The program emphasises equity, inclusion, and empowerment, aiming to challenge systems of oppression and promote allyship. This aligns with social justice education theories that focus on critical consciousness, identity exploration, and systemic change.

Safe Zone workshops use Constructivist Learning Theory. They are interactive and discussion-based, encouraging participants to reflect on their own experiences and beliefs.

The curriculum incorporates queer theory by challenging binary understandings of gender and sexuality, and it uses intersectional frameworks to explore how various identities (race, class, ability, etc.) intersect with LGBTQ+ experiences.

The impact of an LGBT safe zone project on non-LGBT students was published: https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/72755