GSA for Safe Schools 2009-2010 Accomplishments

• NEW STAFF:
• Thanks to a grant from the Queer Youth Fund, we were able to create a new position: Middle School Program Assistant. We hired Monica Adams to fill that position in December 2009!
• CONFERENCES:
• Annual Summer Leadership Training Institute
• Fall GSA Conferences
• BYSTANDERS TO ALLIES (B2A) TO ADDRESS BULLYING IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS
• Continued partnership with Madison Metropolitan School Disrict for B2A in two middle schools and three community Centers: Sherman Middle School, Jefferson Middle School, Centro Hispano, Kennedy Heights Community Center, and Vera Court.
• Consulted with the Equity Leadership Council at Sherman Middle School and a teachers and students at Sherman Middle School about starting a GSA. Each school started a GSA!
• TRAININGS ON LGBT ISSUES AND SCHOOL SAFETY
• Engaged and Empowered - The Lieutenant Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth was an inaugural event sponsored by GSAFE and Diverse & Resilient. It was held in Oshkosh and drew approximately 300 school and community professionals and high school youth.
• Trainings on LGBT issues and school safety to school professionals in Cooperative Education Service Agencies (CESAs) and school districts in Superior, Fennimore, West Salem, Stevens Point, Chippewa Falls, Turtle Lake and Ashland.
• Workshop at the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators conference
• Workshop at the Wisconsin Education Association conference
• Workshops for social work students at UW-Madison
• LEGISLATION
• GSAFE and Diverse & Resilient staff met with Lieutenant Barbara Lawton and her staff, Matt Dulak; Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers and two other Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction staff, Brian Weaver and Vaunce Ashby. D & R staff took the lead in discussing the importance of adding questions to gain more data on LGBT youth and high risk behavior to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. GSAFE staff took the lead in discussing the need to support legislative protections for transgender students.
• OTHER ACTIVITIES
• Served as a resource to multiple school-based advocates across the state, including providing consultation services for multiple emergency situations.
• Served as a regular resource to GSAs
• Participated in the new Wisconsin LGBT Youth Health Coalition Meeting
• Participated in the National GSA Network