Getting Your GSA Started
Gathering the resources and moving through the procedures necessary to start a GSA can be a very daunting task both for GSA advisors and for students looking to run GSAs at their schools. This page intends to provide information and suggestions regarding moving through the steps for laying the foundation of your GSA, from establishing a GSA through school administration to planning the first club meeting of the school year. We hope the information and resources we provide help you on your journey!
If there is any additional information outside of this page that you would like to know, please contact Elijah Oyenuga at ooyenuga@bostonpublicschools.org.
Information for GSA Advisors
As a GSA advisor, it is your responsibility to provide guidance and assistance to GSA members in identifying the role and purpose of the club. You are also the primary force in starting the club through communication with school administrators and filing club paperwork. Here are a few steps and other tips to guide you through this often-complex process!
Starting a New Club: Follow Your School's Guidelines
GSAs are no different from other school clubs in the way they are started. Refer to your school's student handbook or communicate with your school's club supervisor to educate yourself on the rules and requirements for starting a new club. Make sure to follow all protocol and submit all required paperwork regarding the background and mission statement of your club; this may require you to meet with students interested in starting a GSA.
Advertise Your GSA
Whether it be through flyers distributed on bulletins across the school, through word of mouth, or through online promotion on social media, advertising is a crucial part to attracting new members to your GSA. Meet with your student leaders to discuss the best way(s) to advertise your club. Consider having food or other goodies at your first meeting, or, if you are a teacher, putting a general flyer in your classroom or asking colleagues to put flyers in their classrooms.
Find Students Interested in Being GSA Leaders
Starting a GSA would not be possible without the contributions of students! Make sure to talk with students interested in starting a GSA to relegate potential roles that they could fill in the club. This first requires convening to figure out how the club should best be run. Should the club be run by a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary? Should the club be run by a 'board' of several students covering large areas of responsibility? If your club is expected to be small, it may be best to run on a collective leadership basis, where all GSA members contribute to running the club.
Finding a Meeting Place For Your GSA
Ideally, this meeting place is private and secluded from the rest of the school to ensure the comfort of all club members. If you are a teacher, this could be your own classroom. You can also reach out to other educators or guidance counselors who would be willing to host the GSA in their room.
Plan Your First Meeting
Discuss a general "script" for your leaders to follow in their first meeting. What are some good icebreakers to acquaint new members with each other? GSA leaders could ask new members about their hopes in being a part of the GSA. How will your club establish rules regarding privacy and confidentiality in the first meeting? Remember, GSAs are meant to be run by students first and foremost; your role here is to give guidance and provide suggestions for the meeting, but you are not to lead the meeting yourself.
Evaluate the First Meeting
During the first meeting, observe if there are any common threads among new members, and use this to touch base with GSA leaders about the collective mission of your GSA. Are members looking for a place to meet and befriend other LGBTQ+ students? Are they looking for a space to voice their concerns about their identity in school? Are they hoping to challenge discriminatory school policy or school social climate? Or is there some combination of all of these factors and more? Use this information to suggest potential directions your GSA could move in the future in planning events and gatherings.
Additional Resources
Our tips for starting a GSA are not exhaustive, and there certainly is more to running these clubs. Check out these handbooks if you would like more in-depth information regarding your role as a GSA advisor and initiating your club. These handbooks also provide information and guidance on creating organizational and leadership structures for new and existing student clubs, developing effective coalitions, hosting successful events, and planning for a sustainable GSA throughout the school year.
