GSAFE, Diverse & Resilient, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison LGBT Campus Center are pleased to present “Safe Schools, Safe Communities: State Conference on LGBTQ Youth” on Friday, April 15, 2016.
This year’s theme is “Justice for LGBTQ Youth” and will explore what health, educational, and racial justice looks like for LGBTQ youth in both schools and communities. Wisconsin State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Tony Evers, will provide welcoming comments in the morning.
This year’s conference will be held at the UW-Madison. Our target audience members are school and community-based adults who work with LGBTQ youth, as well as middle and high school youth leaders.
CEUs will be available through the UW-Madison School of Social Work for certain conference workshops and sessions. Please indicate your interest in obtaining CEUs when you register.
This conference will also lift up the annual Day of Silence, which is on the same day as the conference. How can you use the conference to help break the silence?
Schedule
8:30 AM Registration
9:00 AM Welcome
9:45 AM Keynote: Mustafa Sullivan
11:30 AM Lunch
12:15 PM Breakout Sessions
2:00 PM Breakout Sessions
3:15 PM Closing and Networking
Keynote: Mustafa Sullivan, Director of National Programs, GSA Network
Mustafa is the Director of National Programs at GSA Network, a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities. Mustafa was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and moved to the Bronx eleven years ago. He has been a lead organizer and director of Sistas and Brothas United youth organizing program for nine years, and is a founder of the Urban Youth Collaborative, the Leadership Institute high school, and the Alliance for Educational Justice, where he served as the National Campaign Organizer. He continues to work tirelessly to build an ongoing national movement of youth leaders to reinvent America’s schools.
Outside of his organizing work he has been writing for over ten years plays, poems, and short stories that show people the power they have inside. He believes the world can change using three ingredients: love, light, and revolution. He uses tools to build the next generation of our movement’s leaders using compassionate agitation, fearless strategy, carribean black gay muslim warrior wisdom, and tells moving stories of suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate triumph.
Sessions
This year’s workshops will focus on topics including:
Creating and Sustaining GSAs at middle and high schools
Exploring Gender Norms and Expectations
Challenging Incarceration of LGBTQ+ Youth
The Role of Consent in the Classroom and Celebrating Youth Agency
Using Theater for Self Expression and Community Change
Building a Statewide Transgender Youth Resource Network
Local Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth Data and Implementations for Schools and Communities
Inclusive Curriculum in the Middle School Classroom
What Parents Need You to Know about Supporting Their Transgender Child and Family
Creating Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships
LGBTQ+ Youth Under the Influence
Health and Sexual Wellness for Young Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Women
Addressing Bias-Based Bullying in Elementary Schools Using the Welcoming Schools Approach
And more! Please consider submitting a workshop. Submit your proposal online.
Registration
Adult/Non-Student early-bird registration is $60. After March 18th registration rises to $70.
College/University Student registration is $20. UW-Madison students should contact the LGBT Campus Center for additional ticket information.
Middle and High School Student Delegate registration is $20 and will soon be available. Please contact Tim Michael at GSAFE at tim@gsafewi.org or (608) 661-4141 for more information.
Conference Location, Directions, & Parking
Conference locations
Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 W. Dayton St.
Red Gym, 716 Langdon St.
Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. (next door to the Red Gym)
Lowell Center, 610 Langdon St.
Parking
The closest parking structure is the State Street Campus Garage. It costs $1.25 per hour, and takes cash and card. There are fifteen reserved accessibility parking spaces. More info at the State Street Campus Garage page.
There is also limited metered street parking on Langdon St. at $1.25 per hour.
Travel by bus
The conference buildings are very near several campus and city bus routes. Hover over the blue bus icons on theSSSC Google map for information on routes. See the City of Madison Metro Transit page for a trip planner, fares, and schedules.
The Red Gym, Pyle Center, and Lowell Center are within two blocks of routes 4, 6, 29, 80, 81, 82
Gordon Dining and Event Center is within two blocks of routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 27, 28, 37, 38, 80
Accessibility
If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please contact us. Requests for sign or other language interpreters, real time captioning, Braille or electronic documents should be directed to Brian J. at brianj@gsafewi.org or (608) 661-4141. We will attempt to fulfill requests made two weeks before the conference but cannot guarantee they will be met.
In an effort to make the conference accessible to people of all genders, there will be gender inclusive bathrooms at the conference. Regardless of what bathroom you choose to use, please respect everyone’s right to use the bathroom. Each of us can decide for ourselves which bathroom we belong in.
Day of Silence
Many of you have pointed out to us that Safe Schools, Safe Communities is scheduled on the same day as Day of Silence: April 15th, 2016. We didn’t do that on purpose, and we apologize. We had to schedule the location for our conference many months ago, before the date for the 2016 Day of Silence had been set.
We know that many folks will feel torn between going to the conference in Madison and staying at school and participating in the Day of Silence. If you want any support talking through it and finding a solution that will work best for your school, please don’t hesitate to contact Tim Michael, GSAFE’s Manager of GSA Outreach at (608) 661-4141.
We are also teaming up with local organizations and artists again to host a break the silence event following the conference. Teen Pride Arts: Expression! will follow the conference and run in the Red Gym from 4:30PM to 7:30PM. Similar to last year’s event, students will have the opportunity to engage with various forms of art to reflect on their day and share space with others. The event will culminate in an open mic, which students can sign up to participate in that day. Pizza and light snacks will be provided.
Congratulations to MMSD’s Sherie Hohs, LGBTQ+ Social Worker, for being selected as the Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (GSAFE) 2016 Educator of the Year! Sherie sees and lifts up the leadership potential in youth who others often overlook and is a fierce advocate for our most marginalized youth and families. She is also a resource to schools and families across the state. We can’t wait to celebrate Sherie on May 14 at the GSAFE 20th Annual Celebration of Leadership Youth Scholarship and Awards Dinner.