Boulder County’s annual GSA Summit set for Saturday in Longmont – Boulder Daily Camera

Boulder County’s annual Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, Summit is Saturday at the Heart of Longmont Church, 350 11th Ave.

The free event, which is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., is open to LGBTQIA+ youth, adults and allies. The mission of the summit, according to a news release, is “to cultivate opportunities for connection, build community, represent positive mentorship and affirmation, and improve mental, behavioral and physical health for youth in schools.”

The summit, organized in partnership with St. Vrain Valley Safe Schools Coalition and Healthy Futures Youth Coalition, will feature presentations on educating and empowering youth and adults, and workshops on LGBTQIA+ history, bullying prevention and youth substance use. There will also be a Q&A session for parents, while attendees can interact with GSA youth leaders and ask questions of a panel.

Youth Advocating for Change, which planned the summit with support from adult mentors, is part of the OASOS Program, a Boulder County Public Health program for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12-18. Youth Advocating for Change members developed the workshop topics and will present most sessions at the summit in collaboration with other youth leaders from Boulder County Public Health programs.

“For me, the GSA Summit represents community and leadership,” Julia Wall, Youth Advocating for Change member, wrote in a statement in the release. “It’s a chance for people to feel represented and understood, for community members to be educated and to make connections. That’s magical to me.”

To register for the 2021 GSA Summit, visit tinyurl.com/2021GSASUMMITRSVP.