LGBTQ+ YeSS
LGBTQ+ Youth Experience Summer Supports
United Way of Kennebec Valley’s Innovation Fund award expands LGBTQ+ youth supports and programming in Kennebec County.
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) convenes a network to collectively increase supports and programming for LGBTQ+ youth – particularly during the summer months. Libraries, after school programs, recreation programs, and other youth settings want to include LGBTQ+ youth in programs, but aren’t sure how!
LGBTQ+ kids just seem to fall off the face of the earth in summer! I know many are not OUT at home. They are not connected to their peers as they are in school. I worry about them…. GSTA Advisor
This project: Increases summer opportunities for LGBTQ+ Youth. In the first year, we create the capacity and initiate programming. We
- Convene a network. Opportunities include:
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- Sharing ways to invite LGBTQ+ youth into existing programs, or expand reach to LGBTQ+ youth without adding new programs or staff
- Attending training and receiving resources from OUT Maine, the state’s LGBTQ+ youth-only focused service provider. OUT Maine provides resources and programming for youth, schools, providers, and parents
- Receiving micro-grants to help implement changes (maybe food for a first meeting, or reimbursement for gas for a driver, a few extra hours of staff time, for instance)
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- Engage a group of LGBTQ+ youth to help plan and strengthen the programs
- Promote the programming for all partners as appropriate
- Help link the youth with the partners with increased connections to and supports for LGBTQ+ Youth to Experience more Summer Supports – YeSS
More information:
- Overview of the LGBTQ+ YeSS Project – and how to become a network partner|
- Why do LGBTQ+ Youth need to be intentionally included and have LGBTQ+ only resources?
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- Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, (MIYHS) LGBT Fact Sheet highlights some of the challenges self-reported by LGBTQ+ Youth in 2019. The 2021 data analysis will be released in summer 2021.
- A brief PowerPoint Presentation highlights minority stress as also a contributing factor.
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- Another Maine-based resource, the LGBTQ+ SupportME Network, a group of adults who are increasing their skills to support LGBTQ+ Youth, meet virtually the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00. Contact April Hughes to get connected. Find resources on the website at www.lgbtqsupportme.org.
- Register for the February 9, 2022 LGBTQ+ Youth Cultural Competence training with OUT Maine – Registration link will be live in mid-December. Here is the flyer.
Check back here for more information as the program develops.
Contact: Joanne Joy, [email protected] 207-588-5350