Youth & Young Adults

We love celebrating our community together and creating moments for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults to truly be themselves.

Student Summit

The Virginia LGBTQ+

student and ally educators

Build stronger connections to our large community, learn how to advocate for yourself, and celebrate queer joy as we move into a new school year! 

DATE: Saturday, September 9th, 2023
TIME: 10am to 4pm
LOCATION: Richmond, VA (For safety, exact location will only be shared with registered participants)
COST: This event is FREE!
ATTENDEES: High school (age 14-18) students and ally educators from across Virginia

How to Register:

To attend, each participant MUST complete an online registration form. If you do not already have an account with Side by Side from our support group services or Queer Prom, you’ll need to create an account with us in Traxsolutions.  

Once you have an account, go to the top of the home page and select "Activities.” Click “enroll” next to the LGBTQ+ Student Summit - STUDENT Registration if you’re a student or LGBTQ+ Student Summit - EDUCATOR Registration if you’re an educator.  

IMPORTANT: be sure to check your email! We will share the location of our event through the contact information listed in your registration. If you have any challenges with registration or do not have access to safe and private email, please contact abram.clear@sidebysideva.org or call our office. 

Safety:

In response to a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and threats to our community nationally, the location of this summit will not be widely disclosed. Only registered attendees and volunteers will be emailed its location. Once registered, please DO NOT share location information with individuals you do not know or in broad online platforms. Beyond this safety measure, we are working with a security team and network of adult volunteers to keep the summit a safe and affirming space.

Summit Partners

Information
Hub

Learn more about these organizations and the work they do during our resource fair

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No! Any LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 14-18 are welcome to attend – whether they attend public, private, or a form of home school.

  • Yes! If you’re interested in meeting queer folks from other schools and learning best practices for self-advocacy and community building, please attend. We’d love students involved with their schools’ LGBTQ+ clubs to attend, but that isn’t a prerequisite.

  • Absolutely! We will have a designated quiet room where you can chill any time you need to step away from the planned activities.

  • You may still be able to attend. Please email abram.clear@sidebysideva.org to discuss your eligibility.

  • We encourage all attendees to stay for the duration of programming to connect with all our incredible partners and maximize time for community building. However, attendees may leave early if necessary. We just ask that they sign-out with a Side by Side staff member for safety purposes.

  • Yes! While student-facing programming is calibrated for high schoolers, our educator workshops and panels will provide you with transferrable skills and perspectives applicable to teaching any grade level.

  • Yes! Please indicate any dietary restrictions when you initially register for our program in Traxsolutions. If you have any concerns, email abram.clear@sidebysideva.org