What this project does…
All youth need to feel and be safe at school in order to learn. Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) and LGBTQIA+ Affinity Spaces all make a critical, lifesaving difference in the school experiences of LGBTQIA+ students. Given LGBTQIA+ youths’ persistently disproportionate risk for harassment, feeling unsafe at school, substance abuse, and suicide, safety is a critical baseline from which all subsequent work must follow.
Laying the foundation for this baseline is the number one goal of the Spectrum Project.
Daniela Fernández
As the Spectrum Project Coordinator, Daniela is working alongside LGBTQIA+ students and school staff to create more safe and affirming spaces for queer youth in Western Nevada County Schools.
In addition to implementing a student needs assessment, she supports existing GSAs in strengthening their infrastructure to ensure sustainability of student-led programming from year to year, while supporting the creation of new GSAs in schools who show need.
You might be wondering…
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Support for existing GSAs: SAEL, Ghodotti, Nevada City School of the Arts
Creation of New GSAs: Silver Springs, Lyman Gilmore & Nevada Union
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Through a series of focus groups and surveys to both LGBTQIA+ students and school staff, we are gauging the unique needs of those students in Western Nevada County to understand how to best serve them and ensure safer, more affirming environments.
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If you’re interested in your school starting an LGBTQ+ Program or GSA, please let us know by getting in touch HERE.
Looking For Resources?
We’ve compiled a whole section full of local and virtual resources for teens, including mental
health, LGBTQ+, and much more! You can dive
into our resources page here!
