In October 2022, Beyond Differences launched its 2022-23 Educator Cohorts in Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City. Generous funding from regional grants made it possible for educators to attend these professional learning spaces and resource their classrooms with Beyond Differences’...
Beyond Differences released its first-ever Featured Curriculum written by our National Teen Board as part of the 2022 Know Your Classmates® program. The Teen Board members who worked on this curriculum either identify as having a disability or are caregivers to a family member with a...
Growing up, Governor Gavin Newsom struggled with dyslexia. He wrote a children’s book, Ben & Emma’s Big Hit, to share his challenges and spark a discussion. On October 14, in honor of National Know Your Classmates® Day, he read to students at Pacific Elementary School in Sacramento...
Beyond Differences is introducing our new ABCs of Transformative Social Emotional Learning (T-SEL). It outlines 26 important elements of creating a T-SEL space to which educators can refer. This poster shows practices, reminders, frameworks, and programs that we utilize and advocate in our work...
Beyond Differences is pleased to announce that Alyssa Ching has joined their team as the Director of National Programs. Alyssa will work closely with our 9,000+ schools nationwide to manage and expand our three national school-based programs: Know Your Classmates®, No One Eats Alone® and Be Kind...
Last week, 50 educators nationwide joined the Beyond Differences Learning Community with a 3-part series on Restorative Practices led by Don Carney, executive director of Youth Transforming Justice. Participants came away with an introduction to Restorative Justice practices and hands-on ideas for...
Today, July 26th, marks the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. We would like to honor and celebrate the radical, disabled activists who broke the chains of silence and isolation to bring forth this bill and the multitude of anonymous...
My name is Sofie and I joined Beyond Differences National Teen Board because I wanted to help middle schoolers free themselves from the pain of social isolation. I had experienced unseen social isolation throughout my life and knew how devastating it can be. Especially, throughout elementary and...
Whenever I opened my Superman lunch box in elementary school, by the reactions of my peers you would have thought I had just unleashed a wave of noxious gas. Every kid within a 15-foot radius of me wrinkled their noses in disgust. “EEEWWWW, what is that smell!” A dozen fingers would then all...
I have been involved with Beyond Differences since 6th grade at my school and jumped at the chance to join the National Teen Board this Spring. I was excited for Activist Academy because I knew I would be able to learn from a dynamic group of young, social justice activists and receive the...
On June 23, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy sat down with Jenna Bush Hager at the Coalition to End Social Isolation’s Conversations on Belonging, Connection, & Wellbeing: A Reflection to discuss one of the nation’s pressing health concerns. Dr. Murthy talked about the need for...
Beyond Differences applauds all of the teens who lifted up a boy in Colorado this week. Today.com reported that Cody Ridder, a 12-year-old boy from Westminister, Colorado, told his mom that his 6th-grade classmates would not sign his yearbook. He was so disappointed that so many kids said,...