Safe Schools Project

Resources for Queer Youth and Educators in Santa Cruz County

Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2024

The Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County, Safe Schools Project, and Our Gente (a program of the Epicenter of Monterey County) are proud to present a supportive space for LGBTQIA+ and allied youth in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties.

Corals and Queerness: Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Saturday, September 28, 2024
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School, Watsonville

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All High School & Middle School LGBTQIA+, Questioning, & Allied Students Welcome!

The Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast is excited to be back in person for our Fall 2024 event on Saturday, September 28th from 9:30am to 2:00pm at Watsonville High School! This year our theme is “Corals and Queerness: Resilience in the Face of Adversity.” Join youth from Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties as we come together to celebrate all identities and work towards a safer and more inclusive future for everyone under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella!

A free summit that is led by youth leaders from the tri-county area. This upcoming summit will provide students the opportunity to:

  • Experience workshops created by fellow youth and community organizers.
  • Meet students from throughout Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, and San Benito County — from Watsonville, Salinas, Soledad, Monterey, San Juan Bautista to Scotts Valley — who are working to help create safer schools in their communities!
  • Have access to a resource fair which provides useful support for LGBTQIA+ youth, allies, and families.
  • Empower and liberate lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans, non-binary, queer, intersex, asexual, questioning, and allied youth.
  • Each student who registers will receive a personalized goodie bag and free t-shirt with a custom design!

Breakfast, Snacks, and Lunch Provided!

Rainbow masks provided at registration!

Read about the Rainbow Conference and the Queer, Trans, and Allied Student Summit:

Find us on Facebook

For questions, contact:

  • Monterey County: Angela Soto-Cerros (they/them), Rainbow Connections Wellness Outreach and Engagement Coordinator of The Epicenter / angela@epicentermonterey.org or (831) 998-7291
  • Santa Cruz County: LGBTQIA+ Student Planning Committee, Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast / CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or (831) 427-4004

The Fall 2024 Summit theme is “Corals and Queerness: Resilience in the Face of Adversity”

About the Theme: Students from the Fall 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee have chosen the theme as “Corals and Queerness: Resilience in the Face of Adversity”

Theme Statement written by the Fall 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee:

The behavior of sea corals responding to climate change bears a striking resemblance to the struggles within the queer and trans community. When confronted with rising ocean temperatures, corals produce a chemical sunscreen, enhancing their colors before bleaching white and ultimately dying. 

Just as the vibrant corals once flourished before fading to white, marginalized communities similarly thrive when protected from the harsh realities of bigotry. People can be the target of violence and murder when they openly express their queerness and transness. The chemical sunscreen produced by corals mirrors the resilience of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, who often adopt protective measures against the hostility they encounter. 

The aftermath of bleaching reveals a stark truth: while the skeletons of hard corals remained, soft corals disintegrated symbolizing the erasure and invisibility faced by marginalized groups, whose deaths often go unnoticed or unacknowledged due to factors such as race, disability, lack of social support, and other kinds of non-conformity. Just as coral bleaching highlights the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, the surge in anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric and violence emphasizes the necessity for acceptance, systemic reform, and unity. When queer and trans people are uplifted, our whole world grows in glorious and mysterious ways. We hope today’s event can act as a much-needed time of refuge, progress, and healing from the societal issues outside.

  • Save your spot at the Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast – Fall 2024!
  • Registration helps us prepare food (breakfast, snacks, and lunch), goodie-bags, and more!
  • The first 150 students to register receive a free Summit t-shirt!
  • Registration extended to closes on Wednesday, September 25 by 5:00 pm.

Registration Open — Sign up Today!

Schedule for Student Summit

  • 9:30-10:00 am: Check-in, Breakfast & Resource Fair
  • 10:00-10:10 am: Transition
  • 10:10-10:40 am: Welcome & Keynote Speakers
  • 10:40-10:50 am: Transition
  • 10:50-11:20 am: Caucuses
  • 11:20-11:30 am: Transition
  • 11:30 am – 12:20 pm: Workshop Session #1
  • 12:20-12:30 pm: Transition
  • 12:30-1:20 pm: Workshop Session #2
  • 1:20-1:30 pm: Closing Ceremony
  • 1:30-2:00 pm: Catered Lunch & Resource Fair
  • 2:00 pm: End

Summit Emcees Announced

Opening Ceremony Emcees: Analise Pagan, she/her, student, Seaside High School & Carlos Joel González, he/him, student, Watsonville High School

Analise (left): This is Analise Pagan! Pronouns are She/Her! Born in the Monterey Peninsula she is a junior and attends Seaside High School in Monterey County! She actively participates in her schools GSA (Gay Sexuality Alliance) club as an ally and her schools Drama program performing every spring. She is so excited to be representing her county at the conference!

Carlos (right) Carlos Joel González is a queer youth leader and actor/singer in Santa Cruz county who has performed at the 2024 Queer Youth Leadership Awards as well as several musicals at Cabrillo Stage. He’s done research/internships on cultural identity and mental health and is currently a junior at Watsonville High School.

Summit Keynote Speaker Announced

The Fall 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee is thrilled and honored to announce the keynote speaker during the Summit Opening Ceremony is acclaimed Trans activist Sandy Stone. 

Sandy Stone is an author, artist, performer, engineer, theoretician, Professor Emerita, University of California Humanities Institute Fellow, Banff Centre Senior Artist, State of California Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and debonair trans-about-town.  She, or one of her evil clones, is the subject of the Marji Vecchio film “Girl Island: The Sandy Stone Story”.  Her favorite activities are writing, seeking the best chocolate, and raising hell.

The Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast is proud to announce the workshops & caucuses for the Fall 2024 summit taking place on September 28th! Some workshops are available in both sessions.

Caucuses

10:50-11:20 am

Workshops

Session 1: 11:30 am-12:20 pm

Session 2: 12:30 am-1:20 pm

Students and community members under 18 submitted Summit t-shirt designs for the upcoming Queer, Trans, and Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2024. 

The design contest was open to all currently enrolled high school and middle school students located in Santa Cruz, San Benito, or Monterey counties. All entries needed to incorporate the summit theme “Corals and Queerness: Resilience in the Face of Adversity.” Designs were due September 1, 2024.

The winning designer will receive a hoodie with the design and a $25 gift card.

All submissions and the winning design to be announced soon!

Community Service Hours for Students

Accessibility Information

If you require anything accessibility-related (e.g.: sign language interpretation, captioning, or any other accommodations) please contact us at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com

Specific accommodation requests should be made by September 20, 2023.

The Safe Schools Project, a program of the Queer Youth Task Force, is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please contact us to request accessibility accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Learn About the Summit Organizers

Fall 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee — Students from Monterey County and Santa Cruz County, including students from North Salinas High School, Carmel High School, and other education in the area are part of the planning committee. We thank them for their commitment, leadership, and work in planning the Summit during their weekly meetings!

  • Lynx Kelly, North Salinas High School, (he/they), Monterey County
    • Lynx is a 15-year-old sophomore from Salinas. He identifies as achillean, transgender, and a demiboy, using he/they pronouns. They are passionate about social justice, intersectionality, and anti-capitalism, aspiring to become a lawyer and activist.
  • Juniper Brown (he/they), Santa Cruz County
    • Juniper Brown is a homeschool student who identifies as a transgender man and uses He/They pronouns. Juniper is intensely passionate about social justice and advocacy work. He is always willing to educate others about transgender issues, and even his own gender non-conformity. He is on the autism spectrum as well, with a special interest in the South American rodent family Caviidae. Juniper is an experienced fine artist and graphic designer, too. He is also a skilled martial artist in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing, and very dedicated to his interests.
  • Wilson Kang (They/He), Carmel High School, Monterey County
    • Wilson is the co-president of Carmel High’s Be Yourself Club (GSA) and member of their Social Justice Committee. He’s very excited to help with this year’s summit, and is looking forward to connecting with new people
  • Sophia Kemmerly (she/her), Carmel High School, Monterey County
    • Sophia is the co-president of her school’s Be Yourself Club, along with her fellow co-president and committee member, Wilson. Sophia enjoys illustration, studying ecology, caring for her fish tanks, and listening to The Smiths. In the past, Sophia has created T-shirt designs for the summit, and this year, she is incredibly excited to help organize a fun event for our local LGBTQ+ community!
  • Sion Erkiletian (they/them/theirs) Student in Aptos, Santa Cruz County
    • Sion is a queer junior who has a burning passion for Social Justice and LGBTQIA+ rights. They enjoy playing with their cat and spending time with loved ones. Sion loves working for better futures in their community.
  • Additional students TBA!
  • Internships Available

We are looking for additional students to join the Fall 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee – contact us at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com!

The Google Form to join the Student Planning Committee can be found here!

LGBTQIA+ Youth Programs in Monterey, San Benito & Santa Cruz Counties

Diversity Center Youth Program — Watsonville & Santa Cruz

Our Gente, a program of the Epicenter — Salinas

Queer Trans Health 831+

Queer Youth Updates – Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties

LGBTQIA+ & Ally Youth Calendar — 2024-2025

Check out the 2024-2025 LGBTQIA+ Youth Calendar — TBA soon!

Additionally, the Safe Schools Project is proud to present…

Parent/Guardian, Educators & Adult Allies Conference

Understanding Gender

A free bilingual conference for parents, guardians, adult allies, and educators who want a deeper understanding of gender and youth in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties.

Saturday, September 28th, 2024
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School, Watsonville

Find us on Facebook

Simultaneous Spanish Translation provided

Información en Español

About the Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Conference

Understandings of gender are changing rapidly and it can be challenging to keep up! Parents might believe that they only have to pay attention to their child’s gender if it falls outside of traditional gender norms. While it is true that transgender, non-binary, and otherwise gender-expansive children are particularly at risk, every child is limited by traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Parents and allied adults play a crucial role in creating a safe and supportive environment for all young people around their gender.

We hope you’ll join us for a day of learning, conversation, and reflection about youth and gender.

Learn more about the Parent/Guardian, Educators, and Adult Allies Workshop

Registration Open!

Questions? Contact the Parent/Guardian Conference organizers at Gendersummitsc@gmail.com or call (831) 427-4004.

Presented by TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County and the Safe Schools Project of Santa Cruz County

Creating gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens

Summit Partners, Supporters, & Sponsors

Sponsored, in part, by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE), Gender Spectrum, and additional community organizations in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties. Please check our complete list of partners, supporters, and sponsors — thank you!

Our Gente

Monterey County

San Benito County

Santa Clara County

Santa Cruz County

National LGBTQIA+ Organizations

Sponsorship Opportunities

For information on how to become a sponsor at the Fall 2023 Summit, please email us at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or call (831) 427-4004

Thank you Bay Federal Credit Union!

Bay Federal Credit Union volunteering at the Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit — Fall 2022
  • Special thank you to Bay Federal Credit Union who has volunteered for the Summit since 2019. In 2021, Bay Federal assembled and distributed over 160 summit goodie bags for the Fall 2021 Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Virtual Summit of the Central Coast! Their continued support of the Summit, helping with registration in 2019, with the virtual summit in 2020 and 2021, and once again volunteering in 2022, 2023, and 2024, is a tremendous boost and support. 

Student Summit Flyer Download

Please help spread the word by sharing via social media to your followers and fellow community members — help us reach students in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties! Thank you.

For downloadable JPGs and PDFs of all of our Summit flyers and Instagram infographics, visit our Fall 2024 Summit Outreach Hub on the Safe Schools Project Website! TBA

Volunteer at the Summit

Please help us make the Summit run smoothly. We are looking for volunteers to help with a few aspects of the event and if you have an hour or two to spare during the day of the event between 7:15 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 28th, 2024 at Watsonville High School in Watsonville, please contact contact the Fall 2024 Summit Volunteer Coordinator at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or (831) 427-4004.

The Summit is providing transportation or arranging carpools for volunteers who sign up for multiple volunteer shifts. Please let us know in the sign up form if you need a ride or can offer a ride. Thank you!

—> Check out the volunteer opportunities & Sign Up Now HERE!

Archives of Past Summits

Thank you to school and elected officials from Monterey, Santa Clara & Santa Cruz Counties for supporting LGBTQIA+ students!

Student Summits

Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summits

Glitter Kids Camp

The Safe Schools Project is a program of the Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County.

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