Author
The Advocate Educator
Vanessa Ford (she/her) is an award-winning teacher (PAEMST Finalist 2015) and author. She is also the parent to a wonderful transgender child. Ford and her husband JR authored “Calvin” - the 2022 Lambda Literary Winner for best children’s or middle grade book. Vanessa is also the co-author of the: " The Advocate Educator's Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive”( Jossey-Bass, January 2024).
Ford’s advocacy work can be found in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post NPR, Newsweek, Today, Good Morning America and National Geographic’s Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric. Ford sat on the board of The National Center for Transgender Equality from 2017-2019 and is a founding member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council. For more information, please visit www.jrandvanessaford.com or www.theadvocateeducator.com .
Rebecca Kling (she/her) is an educator, organizer, storyteller, and advocate for social change. Kling served as the community storytelling advocate and director of education programming at the National Center for Transgender Rights, as well as on the leadership team of Harbor Camps, a sleepaway summer camp for trans and non-binary youth. She is also the co-founder of Better World Collaborative, a social impact consulting firm working to combat the recent flood of anti-trans legislation. She lives in Chicago with her two cats. Learn about Rebecca’s work at www.rebeccakling.com and www.bwcollab.com.
Being an Advocate Educator: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-binary Students Thrive
Sunday, February 18, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM MST