Are you a graduating senior? Have you made change?
Then apply for the 2010 GSAFE Youth Scholarship!
Deadline February 22, 2010
The Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (GSAFE) Youth Scholarship awards four high school seniors $1000 each. The recipients of these awards will have demonstrated a commitment to promoting respect for all, especially in a school setting, with an emphasis on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues (LGBT). This scholarship is open to all Wisconsin high school seniors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
Download the application and apply today!

Examples of student activities that might bring an applicant to the attention of GSAFE include, but are not limited to:
• A student who has been active in the formation or the continuation of a Gay-Straight Alliance.
• A student who has consistently included LGBT materials in his/her/hir coursework.
• A student who has organized an event that has promoted fair treatment and safety for LGBT people.
• A student who has been an active part of community efforts involving LGBT issues.
• A student who has faced and sought to overcome obstacles related to LGBT issues.

Requirements for the Youth Scholarship
• Graduating High School Senior
• Resident of Wisconsin
• Completion of enclosed application
• Two letters of recommendation. One recommendation must be written by a member of your school staff
• If awarded scholarship: Attendance at GSA for Safe Schools Celebration of Leadership Awards Ceremony in Madison on May 8, 2010.

Application Deadline
All applications must be received by February 22, 2010 and will be kept confidential. Announcement will occur during April 2010.

Submission of the Scholarship Application
Application can be submitted electronically as a Word attachment or as a hard copy that is hand-delivered, mailed or faxed to the office of:
GSA for Safe Schools
301 S. Bedford Street #1
Madison, WI 53703

For Further Information
Awards Committee, (608) 661-4141 or email scholarship@gsaforsafeschools.org.

Fill in the Blanks: WI LGBT Day of History on March 2nd

GSAFE introduced WI LGBT Day of History (LGBT DoH) in December 2008 in conjunction with bringing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945 traveling exhibition to Wisconsin for the first time. Leading up to the arrival of the exhibition we realized that most students receive little to no positive information about LGBT people, their history, and related events in K-12 schools. We cooked up DoH as a way for you to "fill in the blanks" and make the invisible just a little more visible. This year's LGBT DoH is scheduled for March 2nd, 2010.

Watch the LGBT Day of History PSA

March 2nd is the day that marks the anniversary of Wisconsin becoming the first state in the country to make it illegal to discriminate against gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in housing and employment. This law was signed into law by Republican Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus on February 25th, 1982. It went into effect on March 2nd of that same year.

The “official” day is March 2nd but we encourage you to consider any day a chance to uplift and learn about the important contributions of LGBT people and their allies. If March 2nd doesn’t work for you, pick another day and make it happen.

If you're interested in planning an LGBT DoH let us know at brianj@gsaforsafeschools.org. Be sure to check our resources so you can plan an amazing LGBT DoH. Students from around Wisconsin have helped us identify a variety of ideas -- one of which is sure to be a good fit with your GSA and school.

LGBT DoH Info
LGBT DoH Flier
LGBT DoH FAQ

For GSAs and Student Clubs
30 Ways to Rock LGBT DoH
Five Resources for LGBT DoH
More DoH Ideas

For Teachers (and talking with teachers)
Where to Find Lesson Plans
LGBT History Quiz
US LGBT History Quiz Timeline Activity

Also see History section of this website.

Wisconsin High School Students "Step Up" at LTI 2009

In August, a record 34 high school students attended GSA for Safe Schools' tenth annual Leadership Training Institute (LTI) in Poynette, Wisconsin. Over the course of the four-day camp, GSA students participated in teambuilding exercises, attended workshops lead by their peers, and helped us pilot the "TransSimulation" activity, which gave participants the opportunity to experience what it might be like to be a transgender student on the first day of school.

When asked about their experience at LTI, here are just some of the comments we received:

"I learned that there are other activists out there fighting for the same thing as me. It made me feel good to know I'm not the only one fighting."

"The LTI family became such great friends so fast. I love that we can all support each other now."

"Everything was great. The food, the workshops, the people, even the horrible flat beds were great because everything else was so over-the-top amazing. It was just so." *speechless sigh*

Thank you to the amazing staff and volunteers that made LTI 2009 such a smashing success. We could not have done it without you.

And special thanks to everyone who contributed to the "Send an Activist to Camp" drive. Clearly, you made a difference.