Is It Possible? LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Elementary Music

Have you ever questioned if elementary school is an appropriate age to discuss the LGBTQ+ community? Have you searched for age appropriate ways to include this community? Have you wondered how you could justify having these discussions in elementary school to reluctant administrators or families?

This presentation will help teachers understand the importance of inclusivity in the elementary music classroom for students within the LGBTQ+ community. We will discuss the findings from my qualitative research completed for my master’s thesis at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, including descriptions of experiences of teachers and students within the LGBTQ+ community; what choices teachers make that can be perceived as helpful or harmful; and resources for how teachers can strengthen the support they provide their students. Whether you identify within the community or not, this presentation will provide helpful, age-appropriate, and actionable resources to strengthen elementary music inclusivity.

Kelly Ruggieri is an elementary music teacher at her alma mater within the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district in New Jersey, where, she teaches PK-4th grade general music and 4th grade chorus. She earned her Master of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where she conducted research for her thesis, “Children Will Listen”: The Impacts of Inclusivity within Elementary Music Education on Students within the LGBTQ+ Community. She received her Bachelor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she performed with Westminster Williamson Voices and helped record two albums: Ola Gjeilo: Sunrise Mass and Aurora. She has previously presented at New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) Conference and the Active and Integrative Music Education (AIME) Conference in Wisconsin.

NAfME presents this live virtual event at no charge to all as a service to the music education profession. To register, you must enter your NAfME member information or create a nonmember account. After registering, check your email for instructions. A recording of this program will be available to all registrants for one week following the live event. Members can also view archived NAfME webinars in the NAfME Academy.

The views expressed are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of NAfME.