Youth empowerment: how to build GSAs in school?

COC-Netherlands and ILGA-Europe are jointly organizing a capacity-building seminar on supporting youth to start GSAs in schools. GSAs are groups of LGBTI and non-LGBTI people that want to create a safer school for everyone. GSAs are often named Gay-Straight Alliances but can also mean Gender and Sexuality Alliance.

The event will take place in November in Amsterdam. There are 12 seats available for this training. If you are interested, please fill in this form and send it back by the 1^st of September to: Sophie Aujean, Senior Policy and Programmes Officer, ILGA-Europe: [email protected], +32- 2- 609-54-12.

What are the expected outcomes of this training?

• Participants know what a GSA is and the different forms it can take.
• Participants know how to support teenagers in schools to establish GSAs in schools.
• Participants are aware of lessons learnt from good practices and bad experiences when supporting teenage activism in schools and establishing GSAs.
• Participants understand the links between youth empowerment, grassroots activism and the setting up of GSAs in schools. They feel confident to contribute to this youth empowerment.
• Participants identify the benefits and challenges related to building a GSA in schools in their own context.
• Participants know where to start and how to establish a GSA in schools.

Eligibility criteria:

• To be an activist working (voluntarily or as paid staff) for an LGBTI organization member of ILGA-Europe.
• To be already working with schools (from primary schools to higher education) or intend to do so in the coming year (please provide evidence of this).
• To reside in one of the 28 EU member states + Iceland + Liechtenstein