Diverse and Resilient Youth
Since its inception in 1995, Diverse and Resilient Youth has held statewide youth conferences, youth institutes, regional youth trainings, regional consultations, leadership meetings, and countless one-on-one and group consultations. Diverse and Resilient Youth serves as a catalyst to help LGBT youth groups get started, and continue to thrive, by providing subcontracts and program supports, consultations, adult and youth leadership training, and leadership coaching. Further, Diverse and Resilient Youth provides resources for program evaluation, policy development, and program alignment with a broad health and development agenda.
Further, a Youth Advisory Board consisting of culturally diverse young people from 14 to 24 determine much of the program content for youth conferences and consultations; they also decide on service and leadership awards to youth groups and monitor grantee outcomes
The group of adult expert advisors to Diverse and Resilient Youth and the Rainbow Alliance for Youth (RAY) network of LGBT youth programs is the Wisconsin LGBT Youth Health Coalition. Coalition members include staff of youth serving organizations, staff from the Department of Public Instruction, staff from the Division of Health and Family Services, the directors of community center, university faculty, the head of PFLAG Milwaukee, health promotion experts, and HIV prevention specialist.
On one hand, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are a generally invisible and misunderstood group of youth. Many LGBT youth experience a hostile and unhealthy climate in schools and communities that is marked by violence, neglect and invisibility. Many are severely isolated and are at disproportionate risk for a range of problems including: suicide, violence, dropping out of school, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and other STDs, and rejection from family and friends.
On the other hand, having adult mentors, satisfying support systems, engaging community activities, and the skills to advocate for their own needs have been found to ameliorate these risks. LGBT youth are everywhere and contribute to the social fabric of Wisconsin communities. Diverse & Resilient Youth and the Rainbow Alliance for Youth (RAY) network of LGBT youth programs are proving that given empowerment and leadership opportunities, LGBTQ youth can be confident, vibrant leaders in our communities.
Accomplishments:
The 1998 Diverse and Resilient Youth HIV Prevention Institute was a 4-day program held at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Fifty-seven youth from 14 organizations attended along with 19 adult advisors, known as youth development specialists. Four Institute facilitators and 16 Institute staff skilled in group processes, youth development, leadership development, health promotion, and HIV prevention engaged participants. In addition to skill building in HIV prevention, youth and adults engaged in a variety of activities intended to expand their adherence to the Seven Pillars of Successful Youth Programs, a mechanism used by Diverse and Resilient Youth to assist RAY member groups build strong, sustainable youth programs. Since that first Institute, Diverse and Resilient has hosted eight, now offering this model program biennially on odd calendar years.
Since 1997, Diverse and Resilient Youth has emphasized youth development specialist skills, organizational structures, and community cohesiveness. To this end, we have hosted each year two two-day Youth Development Specialist Retreats intended to support the work of these young adult advisors, foster the further adherence to the Seven Pillars, and promulgate guidance on group mission, policies, and procedures. Further, we have hosted four regional consultations (Dane County, Eau Claire region, Fox Valley, and Milwaukee) with attendance of over 100 representatives of LGBT youth groups and other community organizations working with LGBT youth. The content and direction of each of these has been different, determined by community needs. Finally, we have been evaluating the progress made by network member groups in adhering to guidance on policies and mission statements.
In 1996, Diverse and Resilient Youth fostered the development of a network of LGBT youth organizations in Wisconsin known as the Rainbow Alliance for Youth, or RAY. From 1997-2002, GALAXY, a RAY member youth group in La Crosse, Wisconsin managed that network, in large part because of the expertise of Marilyn Levin, its adult leader at that time. However, since RAY’s inception it has been financially supported by Diverse and Resilient Youth. During the 4th quarter of 2002, with the agreement of GALAXY, RAY members, and funders, RAY again came under the direct management of Diverse and Resilient, as a more logical home for this network administration.
Since in its inception, over 50 youth development specialists (mostly young adults) and over 500 youth have been directly involved in the various capacity-building projects of Diverse and Resilient. However, each year more than 1,500 Wisconsin LGBT youth participate in groups across the state which were fostered and developed under the guidance of Diverse and Resilient Youth. These are connected to hundreds more who focus their involvement through school-based programs.
If you are interested in learning more about Diverse and Resilient Youth, contact Mark O’Neil at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 414-390-0444.
