Imagine * Create * Dream

IMAGINE

Why does GLSEN work with students?

It is 2006. Students still hear anti-LGBT harassment in schools all across America. It is 2006-we still hear of LGBT young people being beaten up and even murdered because of their identities. It is 2006-now in it’s fourth year-there is a network of over 70 student organizers from across the country who have been trained to live out the mission of GLSEN...strive to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

You could be one of these 70 students. You could be the positive change our movement needs. In the future when people talk and write about the LGBT and Ally youth movement—you could be who they are talking and writing about. GLSEN works with students because you all are the ones in school everyday. You are the forefront for change. We have seen students change policy in their districts, lead teacher trainings, organizer the Day of Silence, organize campaigns within their state and organize safer schools summits. We work with students because students can do this work in a different and exciting way! You can do this work in a different and exciting way.

GLSEN is offering you a chance to be part of the largest movement that is working to end anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in K-12 schools...Are you going to apply?

CREATE

Why was the Jump-Start leadership team created?

In order to meet the needs of students and allies in communities and schools across the country, GLSEN selected the first leadership team, a group of high school student leaders from different regions of the country to be “peer educators,” connecting and giving advice to students and allies, for the Day of Silence in January 2002. Since then, GLSEN has expanded the use of leadership teams to train core group of student organizers for various projects, including expanding GLSEN’s student club and leadership project, Jump-Start. In all of the work with the student club and leadership project, GLSEN uses an anti-oppressive framework. What that means is that GLSEN wants to make sure we are being inclusive of students from all walks of life in all of the work we do. Within the Jump-Start leadership team, we work to make sure there is representation from all regions in the country, all races, all genders, all religions and all sexual orientations. We want our leadership team to represent students from all walks of life to ensure that the leadership team is able to work with and support as many different young as possible.

In the past, students on the Jump-Start leadership team have held local safer school summits, trained teachers, changed the policy in their county, supported other students starting student clubs commonly known as gay-straight alliances (GSA), contributed to GLSEN resources, organized various days of action in their local community and networked and supported student clubs across their state.

This year, the Jump-Start leadership team will come together at least twice a year in different parts of the country to be trained on safer schools organizing and their roles and responsibilities as student organizers on the Jump-Start leadership team. All of these events are fully paid for by GLSEN. After the first of these trainings students will walk away with an action plan for the work they will be doing as organizers on the Jump-Start leadership team.

This leadership team will be made of sixteen (16) student co-chairs and sixty-five (65) lead student organizers. There will be four working groups; Campaigns, Days of Action, Starting and Networking Student Clubs and Summits and Teacher Trainings. Each student will be placed into one of the working groups.

What are some of the outcomes for the GLSEN Jump-Start 2006-2007 National Student Leadership Team?

• Supporting students around the country through email and AIM conversations
• Educating people all around the country about safer schools issues
• Outreaching and supporting for various Days of Action
• Organizing and supporting the Day of Silence and Breaking the Silence events
• Developing and leading teacher trainings
• Organizing campaigns on a local, state and national level
• Supporting other students starting and maintaining student clubs
• Planning and presenting at local summits
• Helping register and network student clubs
• Leading workshops on topics like anti-oppression work, teacher trainings, days of action and more...

DREAM

What are the benefits and advantages of being a Student Organizer?

• Work with an organization on a national level to ensure safer schools for all
• Become a leader in local, state and national communities
• Builds and creates leadership, organizing and communication skills
• Meet and work with other students around the country who are working to create safer schools for all
• Presents opportunities to participate in other trainings around the country
• Receive amazing resources for yourself or your student club
• Provides a great reference for jobs or college

Jump-Start student organizers are some of the lead organizers in the safer schools movement in this country. Below you will find the requirements and responsibilities that are necessary to be part of the Jump-Start leadership team. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Benny at bvasquez@glsen.org.

What are the responsibilities of the Jump-Start leadership team?

• Commit to participate on the leadership team for an eleven month term (July 2006 – May 2007)
• Provide timely guidance and support (mostly through e-mail to student organizers in their respective areas using GLSEN provided, web-based email accounts) to students
• Provide guidance and advice to GLSEN Student Organizing and other staff by attending five (5) out of six (6) scheduled team conference calls (toll free number) attending four (4) out of five (5) regional/working group conference calls (toll free number, to be scheduled in alternating months of the leadership team calls)
• Work with GLSEN staff to create individualized action plans
• Complete monthly reports
• Bi-Monthly individual meetings with GLSEN staff over the phone (each meeting is about a fifteen (15) minutes)
• Attend a leadership team training in the summer and a regional summit in the fall (all costs will be covered by GLSEN)
• Some student organizers will be asked to assist and/or present with GLSEN staff at conferences and workshops in their local communities and regions (arrangements and work agreements will be made for each individual training)
• Complete an end of the year evaluation and portfolio (due May 2007)

Jump-Start 2006-2007 National Student Leadership Team Requirements

• All student organizers will be asked to contribute at least ten hours per month
• Because of the majority of outreach, requests and communication are via email and over the phone, leadership team student organizers must have access to email and a phone on a regular basis
• To meet and share ideas with others on the leadership team, student organizers must be able to attend regularly scheduled monthly conference calls via a toll-free number
• All applicants younger than 18 years of age must have a parent and/or guardian approval in order to participate in the leadership team
• All applicants must be currently enrolled in school (grades 6-12) and no younger than 13 years of age

Begin the application process here by going to www.studentorganizing.org and registering. Once you have registered you may fill out a Jump-Start Application.

Straight allies, students of color and transgender/genderqueer students are strongly encourage to apply.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Benny at bvasquez@glsen.org.