045 – S2 E9 – Intercultural awareness, belonging, and the safety to express our identities

homeroom is an international podcast bridging the education gap between the classroom and the living room by starting conversations impacting the next generation. In this episode, I chat with SJ—a former classroom teacher, LGBTQ+ Inclusion Expert, and DEIB trainer—about their experience being “the new kid.” We talk about how their experience of moving across states every few years impacted their social relationships, and how their biracial and transgender identities didn’t make it easier. We discuss what led them to education, as well as what made them leave the classroom, and what now fuels their mission to creating spaces of inclusion and belonging for all. Check out our conversation, join our ongoing discourse on social media, and subscribe for more. https://www.instagram.com/homeroomed You can also find a computer-generated transcript of our episode at https://www.homeroomed.com — SJ Janjua (they/them) is the founder of Empowered for Equity Consulting, where they use their passion and expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to help equip others with the tools to create inclusive schools and workplaces. SJ is a proud queer/transgender/non-binary/multiracial person who uses their lived experience to guide their work. They started their career as a high school level English teacher and went on to wear many hats in the field of education, from curriculum developer to teacher trainer. They have a master’s degree in International Education from George Washington University. SJ specializes in providing workshops, trainings, and strategic planning support to schools and organizations on LGBTQ+ inclusion, creating and fostering spaces of belonging, integrating restorative practices, and empowering folks to go beyond performative allyship. https://www.instagram.com/empoweredforequity Rée is a visual storyteller and educator exploring the consequences that mass education has on creativity, identity, and interpersonal connection. https://www.instagram.com/theinterdisciplinarian