 Calling Connecticut high school students of color: Apply now for this free, three-day conference in Baltimore! This is your opportunity to work with other like-minded students and GLSEN Chapter leaders to develop a year-long GLSEN Connecticut service project aimed at addressing current school climate issues in your community. The application deadline is March 23rd, so don't wait! |
Create the Next Think B4 You Speak PSA
|
Women's History Month
 March is Women's History Month, an important time to pay special attention to the contributions of women to our societies, cultures, and history. As a part of GLSEN's Days of Support, we encourage GSAs and other student organizers to take the time during March to recognize the contributions of women, particularly to the LGBT and safe schools movements. Click here for helpful resources.
|
SAFE Training
The Governor's Prevention Partnership, GLSEN Connecticut, The Anti-Defamation League and True Colors, Inc., are co-sponsoring SAFE (Schools Are For Everyone) Trainings in Connecticut. The program is designed to address anti-LGBT bias in schools and create change through the minds and hearts of the adults who teach our children.  The next SAFE Training will be facilitated by Robin McHaelen and Leif Mitchell on April 3rd and 4th in Hamden. Click here to register.
|
Register Your GSA with Us!
GLSEN has supported GSAs for more than 20 years, providing resources and a place for more than 4,000 clubs to register. In the midst of a busy school year we know some GSAs may not have registered with us yet. Plus, we want to know from all GSAs how we can provide even better support during the school year. Are you a GSA member or advisor? Make sure your GSA is counted! |
GLSEN Connecticut is a member of Community Works of Connecticut, a progressive workplace giving program.
| |
Please Note: This electronic message from GLSEN Connecticut contains information and opinions deemed relevant to ending anti-LGBT bias in schools and other items which may be of interest to the LGBT community and its valued allies. Not all opinions expressed are those of GLSEN Connecticut.
|
|
|
Greetings!
We're closing in on Spring, and with it the freshness and change that the season brings. Much is happening to bring about change in our schools as well.
As always, we're looking forward to the annual True Colors Conference taking place March 16th and 17th at UConn in Storrs. As you'll read below, our dynamic Jump-Start Student Leadership Team is presenting several workshops. We're eager to have you stop by our table to chat and collect resources, too.
And, as we mentioned last month, we're fortunate that this year GLSEN Connecticut is one of the chosen beneficiaries of the fundraising events held by the Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut. They work throughout the year to make a difference where it's needed most, and we are grateful that they are supporting our work to make schools safe for all students. Information on their fantastic Investitures event, being held March 24th in Hartford, is included below.
Farther afield, there is a powerful documentary being released this month called "Bully", that intimately followed the lives of several students over the 2009/2010 school year. As moving as it can be to hear about students' stories, that is incomparable to watching them unfold. And for those people who believe bullying is "just kids being kids" - whether students or adults, bullies or bystanders - this film needs to be seen. Unfortunately, it has been rated "R" which means that it will not be allowed to be shown in middle and high schools. If you find this unconscionable please click here to join the petition asking for the rating to be changed to a school-permissible "PG-13".
And, knowing that greater understanding is often the
key to creating change, we hope that you will take five minutes to watch the following video "I Want to Know What It's Like", and hopefully share it with everyone you care about. It's outrageous. It's heartbreaking. And, it's a reminder that the respect, dignity and safety we are fighting for in schools is equally necessary everywhere else.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to improve school climates across Connecticut.
Leif Mitchell and Liane Roseman
Co-Chairs, GLSEN Connecticut
|
|
New Jump-Start Team Application, SOCO Baltimore Conference, True Colors and the GSA Summit
 | |
Alberto Cifuentes, Jr., Adult Jump-Start Coordinator
|
Our Jump-Start Student Leadership Team has started recruiting new student leaders for the 2012-2013 school year! Applications are due by September 30th, 2012 and all applicants must be in high school (Grades 9-12). Please click here to access the application, and more information, on our new, improved Jump-Start Team page.
I'm particularly excited about the new opportunity we've mentioned above for high school students to attend GLSEN's 2012 Students of Color Organizing Summit! Selected LGBT and allied youth of color will be able to attend this all-expenses paid, three-day summit in Baltimore, MD. Upon their return, the attendees will be part of a team creating a year-long service project to enhance the lives of young people of color in our local schools. Please click here to learn more about the program and apply by the March 23rd deadline.
Right now, our student leaders are ecstatic about presenting four workshops at this year's True Colors Conference! Be sure to attend "Middle Schools Matter"; "The ABCs of GSA Leadership"; "Really, What's an Ally?"; and "Think Before You Speak." Don't forget to stop by our table as well to get to know us better as well.
Lastly, I'm glad many of you have been asking about our prospective Safe Schools/GSA summit in late May. We're almost done planning, and will be unleashing the full details later this month. Let me just say that our student leaders will be working very hard to make this a memorable event that will empower other students to improve their campus climates. Our student leaders are not only determined to address the needs of students regarding anti-bullying/harassment awareness and education but also committed to providing their peers with the resources and strategies to make schools safe for ALL students.
We really have a lot going on, and hope you'll join us however you can. For more information about any of these activities please email me directly.
Peace, love and empathy,
Alberto
|
A Message from Our
GSA Outreach Coordinator
 I look forward to meeting more of you at this year's True Colors Conference and hope you will share your successes and challenges with me, so I can share them with the rest of the GSAs in Connecticut. True Colors comes at a great time to rejuvenate us with one more idea to boost our GSA before the year ends. Many of you have told me that spring's Day of Silence is your biggest - and sometimes only - event of the year. I say, congratulations for whipping up energy at this point in the school year!
While our high schoolers are pushing themselves just to get through the end of the year, our eighth graders are expectant, awaiting the new challenges of next fall. Spring is a perfect time to take a few GSA members with you to the local middle school and introduce them to your Gay Straight Alliance. Tell them who you are and what you do. Grab some materials from our GLSEN Connecticut table at the True Colors Conference and spread them around to these eager thirteen and fourteen year olds. They can become your new energy next fall!
As always, I'm here for anything you might need.
Joy Lenters
|
 Milton Fischer Scholarship for
High School Juniors and Seniors
The Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity, a four year college scholarship, offers multiple awards of up to $20,000 (up to $5000 per year for four years) for exceptionally innovative and creative high school juniors, seniors, and college freshmen.
Apply for this scholarship if you are: a student who has solved artistic, scientific, or technical problems in new or unusual ways; a student who has come up with a distinctive solution to problems faced by your school, community or family; a student who has created a new group, organization, or institution that serves an important need.
Click here to read the flyer. Applications are due by April 30th. Click here to download the application and read about past winners.
|
|
|
|
|
