3921
(2 votes, average 5.00 out of 5)
Written by Andrew Warner
Dec 1, 2011
Tina Owen. – Photo: Facebook
Every year the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee gathers in December to recognize leaders and organizations whose work demonstrates a commitment to "uphold the dignity of every person and the solidarity of the human community." This year the Interfaith Conference honorees include Tina Owen, lead teacher of the Alliance School of Milwaukee.
The award to Tina Owen reflects her deep commitment to working with LGBTQ youth and others who experience bullying and need a safe place to learn and grow. This marks the first time the conference has publicly honored a person for work in the LGBT community.
The Alliance School serves 165 youth from Milwaukee and the surrounding suburban area. Many youth go to Alliance because they were bullied or harassed elsewhere. But others come because a friend or family member went to the school, or because they're excited about its mission.
Since 2005 that mission has remained clear: "To be a safe, student-centered, and academically challenging environment to meet the needs of all students."
While the school itself is not religiously based, Tina Owen's motivation to start and lead it developed naturally out of her spirituality. She grew up Roman Catholic. As a child she helped out as an altar server three times a week.
Her love of the church was crushed by a new priest who arrived with a new rule – no girls could be altar servers. The experience pushed her away from organized religion.
Yet spirituality still mattered to her.
"I would always tell people, 'I'm a Christian because I believe in the life of Jesus and I want to be like him. I'm just not religious because of all the rules that hurt and harm people.'"
Owen felt a profound sense of calling to become a teacher to disadvantaged children in college. Experiences of trauma in her own childhood made her want to help the youth who most needed support and advocates.
She quickly moved into an advocacy role for LGBTQ students during her first years as a teacher. "LGBT youth were being bullied to the point of not coming back. Brilliant, creative, good-hearted people were checking out and dropping out of school," she said.
Soon Owen realized it was not just LGBT youth, but all sorts of students who didn't "fit" and needed an advocate – for instance, Goth teens and disabled students.
A grant to the Milwaukee Public Schools by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave Owen the opportunity to start a school for all the youth who didn't fit in and needed a place to learn where they would not be bullied or harassed.
Alliance embodies many of the values Owen finds in Jesus and other religious leaders. Alliance also engages students and staff in a democratic process to ensure every voice is heard. Voting takes place on a five-point scale: five means complete agreement, one means a different solution is needed.
The school does not adopt a new policy or approach until everyone votes three or higher. Developing consensus may seem cumbersome, but it's crucial in a school where there are so many who felt shut out in past academic settings. The egalitarian decision-making process at Alliance is one way the school honors the dignity of every student.
The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee Annual Awards Luncheon takes place on Dec. 8, at the Italian Community Center. For information on tickets or to learn more about the Interfaith Conference, call the office at 414-276-9050.
