LGBTQIA+ youth and allies are invited to the annual event

Boulder County, CO – Boulder County Public Health (BCPH), in partnership with Saint Vrain Valley Safe Schools Coalition and Youth Advocating for Change (YAC), invites LGBTQIA+ youth, adults and allies to join the GSA Summit on April 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at St. Vrain Community Hub in Longmont.

The free event will offer an opportunity to cultivate connections, represent positive mentorship and affirmation, and improve mental, behavioral and physical health for youth in schools.

Students, families, and GSA advisors from schools across Boulder County will come together to support the continued development of LGBTQIA+ youth services in schools.

The summit will also offer an opportunity for reflection and recognition of intersectional LGBTQIA+ organizing, and efforts to support youth to further understand the importance of approaching advocacy with a focus on equity.

The event was planned by YAC, a component of BCPH's program Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation and gender identity Support (OASOS) for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12-18, which is committed to preventing bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence in order to build safer, healthier, and more affirming schools and communities.

“The summit is an important youth-led space for LGBTQIA+ youth and adult and peer allies to come together, learn from each other and connect with community resources,” said Jax Gonzalez, OASOS Program Coordinator.

By providing pro-social support groups, one-on-one resource navigation, school-based programming, advocacy, training, health education, leadership development, and other youth-driven activities, OASOS works to create an environment where LGBTQIA+ youth can flourish and thrive.

“For me, the GSA Summit represents community and leadership,” said Julia Wall, a current member of the YAC. “It’s a chance for people to feel represented and understood, for community members to be educated and to make connections. That’s magical to me.”

To register for the 2022 GSA Summit, visit https://tinyurl.com/OASOSgsasummit22.

For more information about OASOS’s efforts in Boulder County, visit https://boco.org/OASOS.