Student Workshops

This workshop will explore what is beyond the Q in the LGBT umbrella. Take a deep dive into various sexual orientations and gender identities that are not discussed as often. This workshop will also explore the reasons why people may utilize different identities in different spaces, and truly explore the nuances of gender and sexuality. Through the use of video interviews, we will work to better understand how people express and define themselves along the gender and sexuality spectrum.

This educational and interactive training will improve understanding of the unique experiences of people who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary (TGNCNB). We will discuss some of the various ways in which TGNCNB people may or may not transition and how to support each person’s individual journey. Topics covered will include knowledge of the social and health needs of the community, creating safer and more affirming spaces, and identifying local TGNCNB affirming resources.

This workshop educates and empowers young people by sharing the historical impact of LGBT people on the world. Through interactive games and dialogue, participants will learn more about the long and storied history of the LGBT community, significant events, and LGBT leaders in many social movements throughout history.

Drag has been around forever...right? When did drag actually begin, and when did drag as we know it now begin? This workshop will take you on a journey through time as we look at where drag started, drag icons through history, and what the future of drag holds for all of us. We will also look at misconceptions of drag through history and in the media and try to debunk the red flags.

This workshop will have participants singing and moving with members of the Youth Pride Chorus. We will explore music as a mechanism for social justice, community, and individual empowerment.

Although the word "transgender" only came into popular usage in the 1990s, we have always existed, and these rich histories include young people just like you! In this workshop, you will learn about trans youth who lived in North America in the 1900s. Whether you are a history buff or you are someone who just enjoys learning cool stuff, you’ll walk away from this workshop knowing more about trans history, feeling empowered by the stories of these young transcestors, and equipped with some historical evidence that shows we have always been here, and always will be.

Together, we will discuss gender dysphoria and how to combat it. Talking through what that can look like without access to gender affirming care, as well as what to expect from gender affirming care, such as hormones and surgeries. We will cover the rights minors have to access sexual healthcare, gender-affirming care, and mental healthcare. We will also discuss how minors can advocate for themselves in medical settings. Students will learn about the HEAT Clinic and the services offered for people 13 to 29 years old, including case management, HIV and STI testing and counseling, and gender affirming care.

In this workshop led by two individuals of transmasculine experience, we will unpack what it means to feel affinity for masculinity in bodies assigned something other than male at birth. We will take an intersectional look at gender, discussing how race, class, sexuality, and other identifiers can impact our experiences. We will define masculinity in our own terms, the prevalence of toxic masculinity in our society, and ways we can live our most authentic truths while combatting misogynoir.

The Center has great resources and expanding in programming. This is a great opportunity to have an open discussion about the needs of the students. We would like to present our services through an interactive games and engagement.

Students will engage in discussion and participate in activities around how to build healthy friendships and relationships. We'll discuss how we want to be treated in relationships, qualities of a healthy relationship and how to identify and shift toxic reactions to jealousy and insecurity.

The Hetrick-Martin Institute will be returning to the GSA Summit presenting on their College Prep and Academic Advancement Programming. They curate members-specific workshops, events, and fairs to make the process of higher learning seamless. So come figure out what's next for you with HMI!

Within this workshop, find the joy, the beauty, and the light, even in darkness by creating your own Black Out Poetry! Get creative and ready to express yourself in a new way! By utilizing text excerpts, markers, and creative utensils, youth will create found poetry; learning the life lesson of always finding the light and joy, the good, even within seemingly endless darkness.

A drag storyteller will read excerpts from a Middle Grade book and lead a discussion on the book's themes, with interactive activities.

In this workshop, students will explore and take pride in their identities to create safe spaces and environments by celebrating differences that make us unique. Together, they will co-construct strategies to empower and inspire their peers, fostering strength and confidence in themselves and each other. Students will talk about and hear about developing healthy identities through self-awareness and self-acceptance, and brainstorm ideas not only for managing their emotions but also for fostering and expressing empathy towards others.

A drag storyteller will read excerpts from a Young Adult book and lead a discussion on the book's themes, with interactive activities.

This workshop defines the difference between a “brave” and “safe” space, and explores how we are all impacted by feeling unsafe or unheard. Students will learn about the Six Pillars of Brave Spaces, be given the tools to confront conflict within these spaces, and imagine what bravery looks like for them and their GSAs. 

This workshop acts as an introduction to HIV Education and Prevention. Participants will be able to define what HIV 1 and 2, explain what U=U means in reference to transmission of the virus, get an introduction to PrEP and its various types and PEP, and expand their sexual health toolkit. We will also debunk Myths of HIV and PrEP and look at the HIV prevalence in NYC youth.

Do you love to dance? (It’s ok if the answer is no!) Where do you dance? What happens when you dance with someone or many someones? This is SOCIAL DANCE! Social dances exist in all cultures in all parts of the world, growing as expressions of defiant joy, even helping move communities forward. We will introduce you to some iconic social dances, where roles, teams, and partnerships are not pre-assigned, but informed by you. Through games, dialogue, and movement you will explore dances such as merengue, salsa, swing, old-school hip-hop, and line dances, plus have a chance to add your own dance moves. No prior dance experience is necessary to participate!

Join us to celebrate youth advocating for themselves and others in their communities, specifically in the LGBTQIA+ communities. We'll discuss allyship and what allyship may look like for youth and how you can become a stronger ally moving forward, as well as how you can advocating for yourself and others, linking back to youth empowerment and taking control of your health.

This workshops aims to dispel common and current sexual health myths while reaffirming accurate sexual health information that centers LGBTQIA+ folks!

Know your rights under one of the world's most robust civil rights laws -- the NYC Human Rights Law. Learn about protections against discrimination in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, as well as prohibitions against discriminatory harassment and bias-based profiling by law enforcement. We will cover all of the nearly 30 protected classes, with a focus on sexual orientation and gender identity & expression. Be Proud & Be Loud.

This workshop will allow students to discover their own voice by learning the art of creating a monologue that is unique to the student. Students will be encouraged to create a piece that is meaningful and unique to their life experiences. Students will also have an opportunity to read their work out loud in front of their peers.

How do you build bridges and break barriers, anyway? How do we continue to push “forever forward”? In this session, participants will work collaboratively and independently to examine the theme of the conference, “Forever Forward”, as they put into words their own vision for creating a just and equitable school. Through question prompts, small group conversations, and independent writing, participants will add their unique perspectives to a community-created podcast. The final audio will be shared a few weeks after the session.

In this session we will take a deeper look at queerness throughout history, with a focus on non-Western cultures and the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and POC communities. This workshop seeks to dispute the idea that queerness is a recent invention, that it is native to Western culture, and that the white Western world is the only place where queerness thrives. Through education on queerness and gender non-conformity in pre-colonial societies and Indigenous cultures, students learn that queerness is native to all cultures, and that queer and trans people have existed and thrived always, everywhere.

This is part one of a two part series. You are welcome to attend either part, but it will be more powerful with both! This lesson seeks to empower by integrating strategic storytelling principles into diverse advocacy platforms such as public speaking, city council testimony, lobbying, social media advocacy, co-authoring op-eds, and community organizing. Participants will gain proficiency in crafting narratives tailored to specific platforms, while also acquiring skills in employing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Statements to safeguard personal boundaries in sharing, thereby enabling impactful and adaptive advocacy across multiple settings.

Together, we will explore personal narrative and the process of self-identification, specifically addressing multiple minoritized identities, while thinking about the challenges of choosing and prioritizing one or more identities over others, depending on the spaces we occupy. Exploring lived experiences and concerns at the intersection of race, sexual identity, and gender, including systemic barriers and the importance of raising awareness of the mental health issues present in our communities, this workshop will specifically focus on the intersection of Blackness, queerness, transness, and nonbinary identities.

Students will learn about the Queer Ecologies Garden Project at the Alice Austen House (nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ History) and participate in a hands on seed based activity exploring nonbinary botany. The Alice Austen House leads multi-week GSA programs in all boroughs of NYC that center queer storytelling through photography and horticulture.

The mask is central to the human experience. Masks can express our identity, a fantasy object, act as a mirror, as a part of ourselves that we want to avoid, or as expression of a conflict. We use masks to create a sense of belonging with certain groups, to hide our emotions, and to express our role in a social group. All masks simultaneously represent our inner experiences and how we want to be seen (or hidden) from others. Masks are style, drama, and performance for the world, but are also about our deepest feelings. What if we could present ourselves completely to the world without having to hide anything? What if we could express all of our multiple identities without any fear? Our gender, our race, our religious beliefs, everything that makes up our identities? This art workshop will offer all the opportunity for participants to ask these questions and come up personal and collective answers through art-making and meaningful discussions.

In this workshop, we will explore gender beyond the binary! Through interactive activities and discussion, we will learn and discuss the difference between key terms related to gender identity and sexual orientation. We will expand our knowledge of gender as a social construction and define what that means for us individually. This workshop is an excerpt from Sadie Nash Leadership Project’s “Power, Identity & Privilege” course.

***The workshop has a capacity for 20 participants or smaller.*** Explore gender euphoria through gender expression with makeup! Participants will learn the history and culture behind gender expression to amplify gender identity and find self-appreciation and self-love when gender affirming care may not be so accessible. There will be makeup provided and a makeup artist who will teach tips, tricks, and techniques to find that gender euphoric moment of one looking in the mirror and liking what they see.

A drag storyteller will read excerpts from a book and lead a discussion on the book's themes, with interactive activities.

Queens Community House LGBTQIA+ YS partnered with JOAN Creative to launch the Q-niverse, a digital Know Your Rights Campaign for our NYC Public Schools students, teachers, and leaders. This workshop will be an introduction to this digital resource and important tool. The goal of this workshop is to increase their awareness and knowledge of their rights in their school communities.

This is part two of a two part series. You are welcome to attend either part, but it will be more powerful with both! This lesson seeks to empower by integrating strategic storytelling principles into diverse advocacy platforms such as public speaking, city council testimony, lobbying, social media advocacy, co-authoring op-eds, and community organizing. Participants will gain proficiency in crafting narratives tailored to specific platforms, while also acquiring skills in employing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Statements to safeguard personal boundaries in sharing, thereby enabling impactful and adaptive advocacy across multiple settings.

What exactly is consent, and why is it important? This workshop will provide a safe and inclusive space for everyone to learn about consent and bodily autonomy not just during sex and intimacy, but in all areas of life. Whether it’s between lovers, friends, colleagues or family, consent is the cornerstone of healthy relationships. Join us for interactive activities and thought-provoking conversations that will explore respect, autonomy, and caring for each other!

During this session, we will define consent, discuss different aspects of consent communication, and explore how to navigate rejection. This session will include a discussion of barriers or challenges folks face when communicating boundaries and consent. Participants will discuss rejection and how to handle rejection, including the experience of being rejected or having to reject someone else. This session will focus on maintaining mutual respect in the face of rejection and provide tips on how to process and move on from rejection, which is a normal and expected part of life. 

There’s a revolution happening in society’s understanding of gender. Sarah & Ian Hoffman found themselves in the middle of it, first as parents and then as authors. Their award-winning books, Jacob’s New Dress, Jacob’s Room To Choose, and Jacob’s School Play: Starring He, She, and They, were written to build a culture that celebrates gender diversity. Now the books are banned in over 20 states. Sarah & Ian will talk about how the books came to be, evolving notions of gender, and what’s it’s like to have your books pulled from classroom shelves.

Have a flair for the dramatic? Join National Queer Theater Teaching Artists for a theater workshop where you’ll flex your creative muscles and have fun with other queer youth. Artists will lead students through acting exercises before collaborating on original devised theatrical scenes. Come ready to YAAAS And!

Join Brooklyn Museum's InterseXtions: Gender & Sexuality Teen Staff in an exploration of queer zine culture and zine making activities inspired by our new exhibit, Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who make Zines!

During this workshop students will create a set, choreograph, and act out a scene. The goal will be to demonstrate how consent and boundary setting is important in the performing arts and entertainment industry, and how trained professionals work to make sure actors are safe during scenes that involve emotional, romantic, and physical boundaries.