GSAFE is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2014 Safe Schools, Safe Communities: State Conference on LGBT Youth (SSSC14). The conference will be held April 11th, 2014, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Student Center. This conference is a continuation of statewide collaborative efforts by Diverse and Resilient and Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (GSAFE) to address the safety and educational needs of Wisconsin’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in both school and in the community. This year’s conference is being planned in partnership with the UW-Parkside LGBT Resource Center.
SSSC14 seeks to bring together K-12 teachers, counselors, administrators, social workers, parents, middle and high school students, healthcare professionals, police officers, social service workers, youth workers, community leaders, and those who seek to support LGBT youth now and in the future to share and learn best practices in addressing the health and educational disparities faced by this population.
At this time, we are seeking presenters and topics for our 2014 Conference. This year’s conference will focus on what adults and youth leaders can do to build school and community support for LGBT youth in our state, while nurturing the inner strength and resiliency of our youth. The 2007-2011 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey data highlights disparities in protective factors (family and school support) between lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and their heterosexual peers. LGB youth were half as likely to report feeling loved by family and that they belong at school compared to heterosexual youth. While no statewide data exists for transgender youth and their cisgender peers, the 2012 Dane County Youth Assessment data suggests significant disparities exists between these two groups as well.
We encourage individuals, groups, clubs, and organizations to complete our online request for proposal form by February 7th, 2014.
You can also download, complete and submit either the Word or PDF version of our request for proposal form and return it by February 7th, 2014, to:
GSAFE
122 E Olin Ave, Ste 290
MADISON, WI 53703
Email: brianj@gsafewi.org
Fax: (608) 661-1360
All workshops will be 75 minutes in length. While the primary conference audience is adults who work with and care about LGBT youth, the audience will include youth delegates from school and community groups. All workshops will be open to youth in attendance. There will be an additional youth-only track of workshops.
Presenters will be notified by February 14th, 2014 as to the status of their proposal.