From Youth Outright
Press release
Youth Outright (YO), the leading advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in Western North Carolina announces a new program, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and Schools Outreach to better serve and connect secondary school LGBTQ and allied youth and supportive school personnel in Western North Carolina.
The GSA and Schools Outreach program evolved from a pilot project, the WNC Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Initiative, which was introduced in the 2014-15 academic year to have a positive impact on school environments for LGBTQ youth and to attract more youth to YO’s meetings, social media and special events. The Initiative was developed to consolidate scarce financial and human resources and develop an administrative model that can sustain continuity when school years end, youth graduate, and advisers change jobs.
The Initiative succeeded on several levels; YO developed an administrative model, secured first-year funding, and managed the communication network, including a YO-produced GSA e-newsletter. Several GSAs have taken leadership roles, including with the Initiative’s collaborative community service project on homeless LGBTQ youth. There is greater communication between GSAs and more youth from GSAs attend YO meetings; attendance at YO meetings increased 140% in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same time period in 2014, which is directly attributable to our improved relations with GSAs.
The GSA and Schools Outreach program will enhance Youth Outright’s presence in secondary schools, by providing programming at GSA meetings, helping strengthen existing GSAs, establishing new school clubs, and serving as a vital link for GSA faculty advisers, youth leaders and other interested school personnel. YO’s Program Director Laurie Pitts will manage the program.
Youth Outright’s GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and Schools Outreach program is funded by The Palette Fund, Gamma Mu Foundation, Mission Health, The Chaddick Foundation, Wells Fargo and Bank of America.
Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program dedicated to providing affirmation, information, support and resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. Our vision is to empower LGBTQ youth to be confident, proud, compassionate about their neighbors, and to instill in them a passion for stewardship in their community and the world.
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