kids are alright: young people in St. Louis hosted a conference BY and FOR LGBTQ+ youth (and you could, too)!
last month, our Changemakers grantee in Missouri, Amplify the Arch, pulled off something huge: a leadership conference that brought together more than 200 LGBTQ+ youth from the St. Louis area. young people built advocacy skills, connected with peers, helped their parents learn, and had fun while doing it.
president Phi, 19, said, "Events like this seem so rare in the Midwest. People in marginalized communities usually have to go to the coasts for events or environments like this. It is quite beautiful that in St. Louis City, Missouri we are starting a tradition that brings queer people together in a loving and accepting way without fear. For every queer kid who's ever felt erased or invisible, Amplify the Arch says: you deserve more than survival. You deserve joy. You deserve connection. And you deserve a future."
and they’re not the only ones building conferences and summits for LGBTQ+ youth:
in Wisconsin, we funded the GSA Student Leadership Summit two years in a row (and year two happened because students demanded it):
in Maryland, youth hosted a hybrid conference for over 400 attendees, leading to collaboration between youth and educators on how to make schools more inclusive for everyone:
and in Washington, an entire school district came together for their Community and Culture Conference:
these aren’t just “events.” they’re spaces where LGBTQ+ young people can learn from each other, experience joy, and leave with resources and community that actually stick, which matters more than EVERRR right now.
have an idea like this? you can APPLY NOW for your own It Gets Better: Changemakers grant of up to $10,000 at itgetsbetter.org/changemakers by May 3rd!
