Professor Lyric Ripley, Open Education Librarian at Moreno Valley College and member of the Riverside Community College District Faculty Association, wanted to “increase the awareness of all our different students,” especially “something that would represent intersectionality.” She saw an opportunity in the CTA LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools grant and applied.

Because it is a safety grant, she saw the project as a chance to increase visibility, which “helps to improve safety, as well as just awareness of the safety issues that the queer community faces.”

Starting with the planning stage, Ripley collaborated with different people on campus, starting by talking with others in the library to think through what the project might look like. Upon winning the grant, Ripley reached out to circulation staff, other librarians and students from the Gender and Sexuality Alliance on campus, discussing ideas and returning later for feedback.

Ripley especially appreciated feedback about some of the terminology featured in the project, as language changes quickly and students could offer more insight.

The project comprises two parts. The first is a library display which provides basic information on different types of attraction and gender representation, the various identity flags, and highlights intersectionality data including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and disability. The second will be a rotating display that changes over 10 months to identify notable LGBTQIA+ figures each month. In considering who to feature, she reviewed the college’s Student Equity Plan and selected underrepresented demographic groups – Black, Latine, Indigenous, and Asian American & Pacific Islander– to highlight in the forthcoming rotating display. This display will be in the college’s Welcome Center.

Ripley’s advice for those thinking about applying for the LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools grant? As far as grants go, Ripley said “this was extremely easy to apply for, manage and report out.”

Head of the Class: College of the Canyons Professor Wins National Award

Brill-Wynkoop and NEA President Becky Pringle

Wendy Brill-Wynkoop, a member of College of the Canyons Faculty Association (COCFA), has been selected to receive the 2026 Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence from the NEA Foundation.

Brill-Wynkoop, a professor of photography and digital media at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, is one of 48 public school educators from across the country to be honored. The annual award recognizes excellence in the classroom, leadership in the teaching profession, community engagement, and commitment to expanding opportunities for all through public education.

“Receiving the NEA Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence has prompted me to reflect on my over 30 years of teaching and advocating for the profession,” Brill-Wynkoop said. “It’s thrilling to realize that after all these years, my hard work has made a difference and that my colleagues, particularly my union members who are fighting alongside me, acknowledge the impact I have made.”

A dedicated CCA member since 1997, Brill-Wynkoop has devoted her career to both teaching excellence and advocating for educators. She also previously served as COCFA president, where she led contract negotiations that secured salary schedule reform, lecture-lab parity and improved working conditions for faculty.

Wendy Brill-Wynkoop with CTA officers and friends at the gala earlier this year celebrating her honor.

In the classroom, Brill-Wynkoop is a champion of experiential, student-centered learning. She has built partnerships with institutions such as the Getty Museum, giving students opportunities to learn from master photographers and to exhibit their work at prestigious venues. She founded the Parallax Student Photography Club and has led immersive field-study programs in Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra Nevada, creating impactful learning experiences for diverse students.

Brill-Wynkoop believes the power of teaching lies in guiding students to discover their potential and recognize that they have the power to change the world.

“Witnessing the transformative journey of my students, from who they were when I first met them to who they have become, is more rewarding than anything else I could have done with my life,” she said.

CCA members can learn about the LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant here. The deadline to apply is May 29.