Day of Silence, observed this year on Friday, April 27, is a student-led national event where scholars take a vow of silence to highlight the erasure of LGBTQ+ people and voices at school. The data is sobering: nearly 4 in 5 LGBTQ students don’t see positive LGBTQ representation in their curriculum, nearly 9 in 10 experience verbal harassment, and almost a third miss school for feeling unsafe or uncomfortable. Across Achievement First schools, LGBTQ and ally students and staff took action to shed light on the troubling situations that exists in schools across the country. In our high schools, scholars wore stickers to announce their observance of the day and distributed cards with facts about what it’s like for LGBTQ students at school. Teachers led discussions on bullying, hung signage affirming their solidarity with LGBTQ youth causes, and created space for students to observe silence during class. With student groups on three different high school campuses for LGBTQ students and allies (known as GSAs), and a staff LGBTQ+ Community Group with over 100 members, we know it's crucial to stand with all our LGBTQ students, families, and staff. Today and every day, we commit ourselves to continue making school more affirming, safe, and empowering. Here are some photos from our school-based #DayofSilence events. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="14026,14027,14028,14029"]