This Wednesday, thirty-five staff members joined a 3-hour workshop presented by OUT Maine called Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools and Community. “It was super valuable,” says Shelly Gibson, Director of Staff Development, “We’re hoping to incorporate it into the onboarding process for all new hires.”
Out Maine is a Rockland-based Nonprofit dedicated to creating more welcoming and affirming communities for Maine’s diverse queer youth in all of their intersectional identities. Wednesday’s training provided our staff with the knowledge to identify the risk factors facing LBTQ+ youth and implement protective solutions to help LBTQ+ youth build resilience. We also learned more about terminology and the importance of languages, identifying student rights, and best-supporting LGBTQ+ youth in school environments. Additionally, we learned to advocate for LGBTQ+ youth and how to develop welcoming and inclusive environments.
Thanks, OUT Maine. We look forward to having you back on campus and building our support structure for our LGBTQ+ participants.
