A first of its kind in Georgia, Pride School Atlanta is a k-12 private school designed to be an alternative for LGBT students. The school aims to attract lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth teachers who feel bullied or not accepted in traditional schools.
The school’s founder, Christian Zsilavetz, believes that the school will be beneficial for the mental health of LGBT kids. “When (LGBT) kids can see you, when they know that they can come to you, they’re less likely to die (or be suicidal), for one,” Zsilavetz said. “They’re less likely to get pregnant, when they don’t really want to get pregnant. They’re less likely to get into drugs and alcohol and into depression.”
Zsilavetz wants the school to be a safe haven for kids to be themselves. “Kids have full permission to be themselves — as well as educators. Where there’s no wondering, ‘Is this teacher going to be a person for me to be myself with?’ This is a place where they (students) can just open up and be the best person they can be.”
Pride School is scheduled to open September 2016 with tuition being around $13,000. Financial aide will also be offered.
Pride school will be modeled after the Harvey Milk school in New York City and other education centers across the country designed for, but not limited to, LGBT youth. “They should be able to stay in their homes, their communities,” says Zsilavetz “I think having a school like this in Atlanta … it means it’s much more regionally connected. If a student does need a place where they can be safe from bullying, from peers who want to harass or harm them, they’re not going to have to travel tons of distance to do that.”
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