Embedded Files
This page is meant to serve as an aid for GSA members and advisors seeking information and steps necessary to run a successful GSA. This page includes a number of activities and materials that students members and advisors can use in their student clubs to bond, build community, engagement and bring awareness to LGBTQ issues. Depending on the needs of your GSA, feel free to use anything on this page in a way that works best for your group.
Don't forget you can always reach out the the Office of Health and Wellness or the GSA Support Coordinator, Elijah Oyenuga at ooyenuga@bostonpublicschools.org for support!
Running A Successful GSA Meeting
Mission Statement
What is a mission statement?
A mission statement is a short summary that helps you and others identify why your club exists, the goals and philosophy of your club, and explains the work and activities your group participates in.
Why should I make a mission statement?
Creating a mission statement for your group will give you direction and purpose throughout the year and will inform others of what your group is about. Some GSA members draft their mission statement and create a document and sign it afterwards.
5 Tips For Writing An Effective Mission Statement
INVITE INPUT. An effective mission statement is best developed with ideas from all members of your group.
KEEP IT CONCISE. Two or three focused sentences are ideal.
EXAMINE OTHER MISSION STATEMENTS TO GET IDEAS FOR YOUR OWN. Simply copying other groups’ statements, however, probably won’t accurately reflect what your group is about.
TAKE YOUR TIME. Effective mission statements usually take a while to develop. Revisiting your mission statement drafts during a couple of meetings allows for additional input and final editing.
SHARE YOUR MISSION STATEMENT WIDELY. Distribute copies to everyone in your group. Consider posting copies around your school, having it published in the school newspaper, submitting it to your school’s administration, printing it for your group archives, and including it in your group’ published materials (flyers, posters, websites, facebook, etc.)
Questions Your Mission Statement Should Answer
Who are we? Who can be part of our group? Is it LGBT-only? Youth-only?
What do we stand for? What are the key elements of our group’s philosophy? Examples included: safety, respect, diversity, community service, direct action and education.
What do we do? What are our goals? What does our group want to achieve in the short, medium and long term? Examples include: raise awareness of anti-LGBT harassment in school and in society, draw attention to gender role construction and gender inequity, confront interconnected “isms” (such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc.), provide a safe and supportive place for LGBTQ students and allies, etc.
How do we do it? How are we going to achieve our goals? Examples include: promoting or passing anti-discrimination school policies, working with teachers to develop lesson plans on LGBT history, organizing a coalition of allies in the school community, holding fundraisers to purchase LGBT inclusive library materials, and holding weekly meetings where students can find support.
Adapted from: "Writing a Mission Statement." GLSEN. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.
Ground Rules
Having a safe and welcoming GSA is essential to making students feel safe. A great first activity for GSAs is to set group norms or guidelines for conversations and meetings.
Some GSAs work together to create these guidelines and then keep them posted or hang them up before each meeting.
We recommend enforcing two "must agree" agreements for the group, and then allowing students to come up with a list of guidelines together.
GSA Agreements:
Confidentiality- Everything at the GSA meeting is confidential. We don't share information outside of the meetings, and we don't share who shows up to meetings.
Assumptions- We don't make assumptions at the GSA meetings. We don't ask about people's sexuality or gender identity, but if someone choses to share that we respect it and honor their confidentiality, if requested.
These two agreements can begin every meeting, but there are many more that GSAs might want to include.
Here is a list of some examples:
One mic, one voice. Only one person should speak at a time.
Step up, step back. Participants should be aware of how much they are speaking. If they feel they are speaking a lot, they should let others speak, and if they find themselves not talking, they should try to contribute some comments, ideas or suggestions.
Use “I” statements. Everyone should speak from their own experiences.
Avoid making generalizations. Don’t make blanket statements about any groups of people. (In addition to members of the LGBT community, this also includes political parties, religious groups, socioeconomic classes, age ranges, etc.) If you’re not sure that something you want to say is factually correct, phrase it as a question.
No assumptions — except for best intentions. Do not assume other people’s experiences or anything else. The only assumption people should make is that when other participants speak, they are speaking with the best intentions and do not mean to offend anyone.
Correct gently, but do correct. If participants say something that is incorrect or offensive, politely call them on that. Letting comments slip by only makes the space less safe and increases the difficulty of building successful partnerships.
Respect confidentiality. Assume that stories and comments shared at meetings should remain private. If you would like to share someone’s story or comment, please ask them first.
Don’t “yuck my yum.” Diverse groups have lots to offer, and that includes different tastes. When group members share their likes and dislikes, respect their personal opinions and preferences.
Lean into discomfort. Meetings and topics can sometimes be challenging. Be willing to experience some discomfort in discussions, and learn from it as a team!
Adapted from: "Guidelines for Respectful GSA Discussion." GLSEN. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.
Monthly Topics
Set Semester/Year Goals
Setting these goals and using them to develop your plans will give your group something to work toward throughout the year. When you start planning as a group, focus on setting concrete and measurable goals.
A couple of areas your GSA can focus on for setting goals include:
Membership
Example: The GSA will add five new members.
Events
Example: The GSA will have one event per month.
Supportive teachers
Example: The GSA will identify five supportive teachers to whom students can reach out.
Questions to consider:
What do the members of your group want to accomplish this semester?
How will you make this a successful year for your GSA?
How many new members do you want to have?
How many events will your GSA put on this year?
How will you increase the number of supportive teachers in your school?
Compile a Calendar
Build a calendar that is accessible to all members of your group. Include dates for activities for your GSA. Consider many of the LGBT days of action and decide which events your group wants to take on. It can be helpful to assign to each event a point person that is responsible for leading a group of members to plan the event. If you have an events committee, use the committee to plan these events, and assign different responsibilities for each member of the group to be involved.
Here is a sample of monthly themes you can choose from:
August – Semester/Year-Long Planning
September – Sexual Orientation and Gender Education
October – LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day, Ally Week
November – Transgender Day of Remembrance
December – Safe Schools, Bullying, and Upstanding
January – Gay-Straight Alliance Day and GSA History
February – Student Rights in Public Schools
March – Student Activism and GSA Leadership Summit
April – Intersections of Identity
May – GSA Reflection and Evaluation of the School Year
June – Pride
Activities
Team Building Activities
The team-building activities are opportunities for your members to connect on a deeper level through personal and professional growth. These activities are designed to engage your GSA in ways that help them explore more about their own identity and their role as a GSA member. Remember that some of these issues are personal so make sure to maintain a safe, accepting, and affirming environment by following the group’s guidelines or ground rules.
Educational Activities
Educational activities are essential to a GSA that wishes to promote understanding of the LGBT+ community, its history and its present struggles, and opportunities for action. These activities can come in many forms such as watching movies, watching presentations, or creating projects to present to the group or to the school.
Community Engagement
Another type of activity that can be done is community engagement. This means that students can either engage with their larger school or have community organizations come and present to your GSA. There are many ways to engage your school community, including celebrating LGBTQ+ days and months of action, movie nights, hosting presentations or panels, and pushing for gender-inclusive bathrooms. Outside of school, your GSA can partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations in the area, such as BAGLY or Boston GLASS, to organize events and lessons.
Facilitating Discussions
Conversation Starters
What are conversation starters and what are they good for?
Conversation starters are questions, phrases or actions which aim to begin a dialogue between people in order to build greater connection. Connection is what is most important between people, so it is necessary to build trust and a strong sense of belonging within your GSA. It allows us to understand each other, empathize with each other and hold space with each other by recognizing the humanity in our peers. We foster connection with others by spending time together and getting to know one another through open honest dialogue and fun activities.
If your goal for your GSA is to increase your sense of community, trust and safety, then it all starts by having a conversation. It can be hard to start a conversation with people you don't know or people you do know. An easy way to start is by asking questions. Look below for a list of simple questions you can ask and how to use them in your GSA.
How to Use Conversation Starters
As you can see below, there are several different types of questions you can use to start a conversation. Each question it split up into categories that depend on what type of conversation you are looking to have. A good facilitator understands that, in addition to listening, asking the right question is the most important aspect of moving a conversation in a particular direction and staying on track. Each question serves a different purpose, and they should be based on what you want to know and how others might respond when hearing and answering them. Look below to see how you can use each set of questions effectively.
Always make sure to go over the ground rules before starting any conversation.
Fun:
This drop down menu contains questions that are fun and lighthearted. These questions are great openers because most people feel safe engaging with them.
Students feel very shy, uncomfortable and out of place when they come to their first few GSA meetings, fun questions break the ice without making people feel too vulnerable - it is recommended you start off with light and fun questions at the beginning of your GSA meeting.
It is a great way to demonstrate that your GSA is safe and supportive.
Fun discussions are easy ways to start reminding participants of your group agreements and demonstrate them when necessary. This will help create a culture of mindful accountability in addition to building a safe and supportive culture.
These are great questions to add with member introductions when you have new meetings or are just starting out your GSA.
Favorites:
These questions are all about preferences and they can be little bit more personal for members than fun questions. This is important to consider because people like and dislike different things and a common response of those who dislike something that someone else likes is shame. Members should not feel shamed because they express something that they like, and it is important to stop this behavior before it creates an unsafe space. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Demonstrate your "don't yuck my yum" group agreement.
Rather than shaming/invalidating, encourage members to ask why someone likes or dislikes something, asking follow up questions is always a great way for people to share more.
Use these questions as a tool to embrace and celebrate differences, practice respect and mindful response.
Both 'fun' and 'favorite' conversations are non-threatening. When an individual can share non-threatening areas of their life, an exciting step in group building has taken place. If one person perceives that another is genuinely interested in their story, trust will begin to develop. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. If a person perceives that others do not care enough to listen, trust, the foundation of community, will not be established. The more sympathetically a group listens, the more secure an individual feels as a member of a group.
Gratitude:
Practicing gratitude can help us better manage stress and increase feelings of happiness and well-being. Gratitude can help members put a positive spin on stressful times and turn them into valuable lessons. Gratitude questions are a great way to end a discussion.
Deeper Discussion
At this stage, individuals share deeply with one another and set goals. The youth group becomes a setting where young people can express their visions of the future and present struggles. The group will not laugh at or condemn its members if they admit they flunked a test, or that they dream of becoming a U.S. senator, or that they have a drinking problem.
When a group member shares a problem, the rest of the group gives support and encouragement by expressing sympathy. The group can help the individual talk through possible solutions and goals. The group holds the individual accountable for his or her decisions, remaining supportive throughout the process.
It is important to keep in mind that not all of a person’s thoughts are appropriate to share in a group setting. A person should be discouraged from telling the entire youth group details of her life that might hurt another member of the group. She should be encouraged to share these struggles with one another or the advisor(s) on a one to one basis, and in these conversations come up with a suitable way to bring it to the group.
Fun
If you were a transformer, what vehicle would you turn into?
What laws would you abolish if you could? What laws would you create?
If extra lives were a thing in the real world, how would you get them?
If you were a food, what food would you be?
What animal would be way better if it was covered in scales?
If you could design a planet, what would your perfect planet look like?
What would be your strategy for a zombie apocalypse?
If you could be the CEO of any company, what company would you choose?
What two animals would you like to switch the sounds they make?
Would you want to permanently feel zero pain if given the chance?
What cartoon world do you wish you could live in for a week?
What do you wish grew on trees?
What weird thing would you make socially acceptable if you could?
If every time you snapped your fingers, you would instantly be transported to a random point in humanity’s timeline, would you snap your fingers? If so, how often?
If you were perpetually surrounded by one aroma (besides your natural smell) which you and everyone around you could smell, what would it be?
If you could level up any aspect of yourself (i.e., strength, intelligence, charisma, etc.) but you had to decrease another aspect of yourself by the same amount, what aspects would you increase, and which would you decrease?
If humans lost the ability to see all color except one, which color would you want to survive?
If you were a dictator of a small country, what crazy dictator things would you do?
If your sheets had to be made of deli meats, what meat would want them made of?
If you could put wings on any species of animal, what animal would you choose?
How would the world be different if zeppelins had caught on and were the dominant form of air travel?
Every day 12 things appear in your backyard, they are random, but all start with a letter of your choosing. What letter do you choose?
If money wasn’t a concern where would you live, what would you do, and what would your lifestyle look like?
If when you died, you could cease to exist or wander the earth forever never being able to interact with anything, which would you choose?
If you could move anywhere and still have a livable wage, where would you like to move?
If you could get a ticket to any show or event, what would you want a ticket to?
If you could go back in time and give your parents advice before you were born, what advice would you give them?
If everyone was mentally incapable of lying, how would that change the world?
If you could be invisible, but it would mean being permanently invisible, would you want to be?
If you had to do a dance that had never been done in the history of mankind or be killed, what kind of dance would you do?
If you could erase one thing from existence, even the memory of the thing, what would it be?
If you were required by law to get a full body tattoo, what would you get tattooed over your entire body?
If you were head of product development at a major fast food chain, what food abomination would you create?
If you could change the sounds your body makes (i.e., burp, fart, yawn, sneeze, etc.), what new sound effects would replace the normal sounds of your body?
If you were forced into gladiatorial combat, but could only choose a weapon that isn’t typically considered a weapon, what non-conventional weapon would you choose?
If you could replace any word in common usage with another word and no one would know, which word would you choose?
If you could go back and hands down win any argument you’ve had with anyone, what argument would you choose to win?
If you were reincarnated as an animal based on your personality, what animal do you think you would come back as?
If you had to be haunted by a ghost for the rest of your life but could choose which dead person the ghost would be, who would you choose as your ghost?
If people were required to post the bad as well as the good stuff that happened to them on social media, would social media platforms be more or less popular than they are now?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What would be your perfect job?
Where would you love to go on holiday?
What would be your perfect job?
Which skill would you love to learn?
Which language would you like to learn?
If money was not a concern what would you do every day if you didn’t work?
Where would you love to go on holiday?
Why would you like to go to a tropical island or the Arctic more?
Where would you most like to live?
Who would you like to be for a day?
Favorites, Likes, and Dislikes
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
What was your favorite subject at school?
What was your favorite birthday present?
What was your favorite Christmas present?
What was the worst present you’ve received?
What was your favorite childhood toy?
What is your favorite TV show and why?
What is your favorite song?
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite film?
What is your favorite food?
What is your favorite drink?
Which task or chore is your favorite?
Which task or chore is least favorite?
Which office machine is your favorite?
What is the best chat up line you’ve heard or had said to you?
Which famous person would you like to meet?
Which famous person would you never want to meet?
. What shows are you into?
Gratitude
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week?
What aspects of your city or neighborhood are you grateful for?
What have others done in your life that you’re grateful for?
Who is someone that really listens when you talk, and how does that affect you?
What’s a stressor you’re grateful to have put behind you this year?
How many of your basic needs do you not have to worry about meeting today?
What’s the best thing about your home, and have you taken the time to enjoy it recently?
Have you had a chance to help someone recently, and how did that make you feel?
What’s something you look forward to in the future?
What’s something enjoyable you get to experience every day that you’ve come to take for granted?
What’s a hard lesson that you were grateful to learn?
What about today has been better than yesterday?
What’s an aspect of your physical health that you feel grateful for?
What happened today/yesterday/this week/this month/this year that you’re grateful for?
What’s an aspect of your personality that you’re grateful for?
How have you used your talents recently, and what have you enjoyed about doing that?
What relationships are you grateful for?
What’s one thoughtful thing someone did for you recently?
What’s an aspect of how you were parented for which you feel grateful?
What’s one thing you’ve enjoyed about doing your job recently?
What made you laugh or smile today?
Deeper Discussion
What is something you like about yourself?
What is one of your earliest memories?
What’s one of your favorite memories?
What’s the hardest part of your life right now?
What do you worry about the most?
What helps you feel better when you’re upset or stressed?
What can I do to help you when you’re upset or stressed?
When have you felt angry recently?
When are some times you’ve felt worried?
What hurts your feelings?
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?
What does your perfect day look like?
What are you drawn to?
What makes you happy?
Who or what has changed your life?
How do you best connect with others?
What was the best (or worst) thing that happened at school today?
What was something that made you laugh today?
What was your favorite part of lunch or recess?
What part of the day do you look forward to?
What part of the day do you dread?
What do you think you want to do when you graduate?
What do you hope never changes?
Do you believe in giving people second chances, and why?
What’s your philosophy in life?
What’s the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
Fun conversation starters are usually fun and lighthearted questions that are easy to engage with by all students. These questions can break the ice without making people feel too vulnerable, and are great ways to launch the first GSA meeting of the year. Fun conversation starters are also a great way for new members to introduce themselves to the entire group.
Favorite conversation starters, like fun conversation starters, are mostly lighthearted questions, but focus more on preferences and can be a little more personal. It is important to maintain an atmosphere of open-mindedness and respect for some of these questions; members should not feel shamed because they express something that they like, and it is important to stop this behavior before it creates and unsafe space.
Gratitude conversation starters focus primarily on what students are grateful for, whether it be for something that happened that day or for something in their lives overall. Practicing gratitude can help us better manage stress and increase feelings of happiness and well-being. Gratitude can help members put a positive spin on stressful times and turn them into valuable lessons. Gratitude questions are a great way to end a discussion.
Fun Conversation Starters
Where would you love to go for vacation?
If you could design a planet, what would your perfect planet look like?
What would be your strategy for a zombie apocalypse?
If you could be the CEO of any company, what company would you choose?
Would you want to permanently feel zero pain if given the chance?
What weird thing would you make socially acceptable if you could?
If you could put wings on any species of animal, what animal would you choose?
If money wasn’t a concern where would you live, what would you do, and what would your lifestyle look like?
If you could move anywhere and still have a livable wage, where would you like to move?
If you could get a ticket to any show or event, what would you want a ticket to?
If you could go back and hands down win any argument you’ve had with anyone, what argument would you choose to win?
If you were reincarnated as an animal based on your personality, what animal do you think you would come back as?
If you had to be haunted by a ghost for the rest of your life but could choose which dead person the ghost would be, who would you choose as your ghost?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What would be your perfect job?
Which skill would you love to learn?
Which language would you like to learn?
If money was not a concern what would you do every day if you didn’t work?
Who would you like to be for a day?
Favorite Conversation Starters
Who is your favorite teacher and why?
What is your favorite subject at school?
What was your favorite birthday present?
What was your favorite Christmas present?
What was the worst present you’ve received?
What was your favorite childhood toy?
What is your favorite TV show and why?
What is your favorite song?
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite film?
What is your favorite food?
What is your favorite drink?
Which task or chore is your favorite?
Which task or chore is least favorite?
What is the best chat up line you’ve heard or had said to you?
Which famous person would you like to meet?
Which famous person would you never want to meet?
Gratitude Conversation Starters
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week?
What aspects of your city or neighborhood are you grateful for?
What have others done in your life that you’re grateful for?
Who is someone that really listens when you talk, and how does that affect you?
What’s a stressor you’re grateful to have put behind you this year?
How many of your basic needs do you not have to worry about meeting today?
Have you had a chance to help someone recently, and how did that make you feel?
What’s something you look forward to in the future?
What’s something enjoyable you get to experience every day that you’ve come to take for granted?
What’s a hard lesson that you were grateful to learn?
What about today has been better than yesterday?
What’s an aspect of your physical health that you feel grateful for?
What happened today/yesterday/this week/this month/this year that you’re grateful for?
What’s an aspect of your personality that you’re grateful for?
How have you used your talents recently, and what have you enjoyed about doing that?
What relationships are you grateful for?
What’s one thoughtful thing someone did for you recently?
What made you laugh or smile today?
Deep discussion starters revolve around members sharing deeply with one another. Here, the GSA becomes a setting where young people can express their visions of the future and present struggles. It is important to note that not all students will feel comfortable answering these questions, and that answers should remain confidential. These discussion starters should be used closer to the end of the semester or school year, when GSA members have already been acquainted with each other.
Conversation starters around LGBTQ+ identity are important ways for GSA members to share information about themselves and offer opportunities for students to connect with each other on a deeper level. These guiding questions can help students realize the common experiences they may share, or can shed light on issues they were not previously aware of. Be sure to respect confidentiality and identity, and acknowledge that some may not be entirely comfortable disclosing personal information. As a GSA, these discussions can be a great way to navigate the needs and desires of club members.
Conversation starters around racial identity challenge students to think about their race as well as the privileges they may hold or challenges they may face as a result of it. Many students in your GSA may have intersecting identities both as students of color and as LGBTQ+ students, and this can greatly shape their experiences. Reiterate that your GSA is a safe space and that all students should actively listen to each other. These conversations should also be used after your GSA has been well-acquainted with each other.
Deeper Discussion Conversation Starters
What is something you like about yourself?
What is one of your earliest memories?
What’s one of your favorite memories?
What’s the hardest part of your life right now?
What do you worry about the most?
What helps you feel better when you’re upset or stressed?
What can I do to help you when you’re upset or stressed?
When have you felt angry recently?
When are some times you’ve felt worried?
What hurts your feelings?
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?
What does your perfect day look like?
What are you drawn to?
What makes you happy?
Who or what has changed your life?
How do you best connect with others?
What was the best (or worst) thing that happened at school today?
What was something that made you laugh today?
What was your favorite part of lunch or recess?
What part of the day do you look forward to?
What part of the day do you dread?
What do you think you want to do when you graduate?
What do you hope never changes?
Do you believe in giving people second chances, and why?
What’s your philosophy in life?
What’s the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
LGBTQ+ Identity Conversation Starters
What were your first memories about sexual or gender orientation when you were a child?
What messages did you learn from others about people who were not heterosexual or cisgender?
Did you know anybody who was LGBTQ+ while you were growing up? What was your relationship like with them?
When did you first realize you were LGBTQ+?
What is one of your favorite things about your queer identity?
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself about your queer identity?
How has being queer made you a stronger person?
Who is someone who has influenced or guided your understanding of gender and sexuality?
Why is pride important to you?
Racial Identity Conversation Starters
When were you first aware of race?
What do you remember from your childhood about how you made sense of human differences?
How have other people, things, and media shaped your beliefs on race and racial differences?
How has race showed up in your personal life?
What feelings, thoughts, reflections are you holding in this moment? For yourself? Your family? Your community?
How often do you think about your racial or ethnic identity?
What about your racial or ethnic identity are you most proud of?
Have you ever felt “different” in a group setting because of your race? How did this affect you?
How often/deeply do you interact with people of a different racial identity other than your own? What is the nature of these relationships and interactions?
What have you learned from nonwhite role models in your life?
How have you seen your race or ethnicity overlap with your LGBTQ+ identity?
Ice breakers
What are ice breakers?
Ice breakers are short and interactive games or questions that can be used to get to know other people and for others to get to know us. This allows us to provide an opportunity to create connection, understanding and trust between people. Our communication and responses to each other allow us to determine whether or not we can be our truer selves with the people around us or whether the space if unsafe. Ice breakers can be an excellent way to start building a the culture and safety of your GSA meeting. They can help existing members continue to connect with each other or bring new members together. They can help spark interesting conversations or lighten the mood, and so much more.
In person Ice Breaker Activities
Divide people into groups (anywhere from two to six people depending on how many people you have total). Then give each group 100 drinking straws and two small rolls of tape. Give each group a space to build and then allow about 10 minutes to see which group can make the tallest self-supporting structure.
Everybody takes off a shoe and throws them in a pile on the floor. At the count of three, everyone has to grab a shoe from the pile, then find the person with the matching shoe on their other foot and find out their name and three things about them they didn’t already know (something that they would not mind sharing with everyone). After everyone has found their person and asked them the questions, go around the circle and have everyone introduce the person they talked to and tell the three things about them that they learned.
Start this icebreaker by asking everybody in the group to write down two truths and one lie about themselves in any order they wish on an index card. Remember, tell them to be creative about the facts and lie that they pick! After everyone has finished writing down three things that may or may not be about themselves, go around the group and have each person try and stump the other people in the group. After the first person has finished reading their two truths and a lie, have everyone in the group try to pick out the lie.
Break the group up into small groups of three people and have them sit with one person in the middle and the other two on each end facing the middle. Then have the people on both ends simultaneously hold conversations with the person in the middle as though there was no one on the other side of the middle person. The person in the middle will try to earnestly carry on both conversation for three minutes. Then rotate positions until each has had a turn in the middle.
Use a large bag of candy (or something similar – you could even do this with something like a handful of marbles!). Have everyone gather in a circle and then pass the bag of candy around. Everyone can take as many pieces of candy as they want, but they canʼt eat it. Once the bag has made it around, everyone has to tell a statement about themselves for each piece of candy they have. Then you can eat the candy!
Divide everyone into equal groups. Then you announce an order that each group must line up in. The first group to get themselves in order and sit in a line on the floor wins. You can use any of these categories – street addresses (highest number in the front – lowest in the back), age, shoe size, birthday, telephone number, middle name in alphabetical order – or one that you make up.
Ask each person to introduce themselves, give their names and one unusual bit of information. You should choose a common theme for the information, like what food they wonʼt miss if they could never eat it again, what kind of animal they would like to be reincarnated as, or their favorite movie.
The story game. This is where one person starts a story, says three to four lines and then suddenly stops speaking. The next person continues the story and stops it after three to four lines. This continues till the last person in the circle concludes it.
In this game participants have to form a line according to their birth dates in 5 minutes without making any noises, beginning with the first person born in January and ending with the last birthday in December. Remember that dates also matter. For instance, a person born on the 9th of January will stand before the person born on 12th of January. Everyone has to figure this out with quick thinking and hand motions.
Resources For GSA Meetings
Both of these guides have been used to create this page, you can use them to get more information on how to successfully create and run a GSA.
Build It Up: A Guide for Creating Effective GSA Programming
This guide serves as a resource for students involved in their Gay-Straight Alliance or other groups that work to end anti-LGBTQ bullying or create safer, more inclusive climates for LGBTQ students. As a resource, this guide includes a number of activities and materials that students can use in their student clubs to stay active and bring awareness to LGBTQ issues. Depending on the needs of your GSA, feel free to use any pieces of this guide and arrange the activities in a way that works best for your group.
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