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 LGBTQIA2S+ and allied youth in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties.
Theme
Saturday, September 26, 2026
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School, Watsonville
Click the link to take you to this section of the page:
- Introduction
- Summit Theme
- Registration
- Schedule
- Call for Workshops
- Call for T-shirt Design
- Community Service Hours
- Accessibility Information
- Learn About the Summit Organizers
- LGBTQIA2S+ Youth Programming in Monterey, San Benito & Santa Cruz County
- Parent/Guardian, Educators & Adult Allies Conference -- “Understanding Gender”
- Partners, Supporters, & Sponsors
- Flyers
- Volunteer at the Summit
- Archives of Past Summits
All High School & Middle School LGBTQIA2S+, Questioning, & Allied Students Welcome!
The Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast is thrilled to be back for our Fall 2026 event on Saturday, September 26th from 9:30am to 2:00pm at Watsonville High School! This year our theme is “Cosmic Queerness: An Affirming Universe.” 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 LGBTQIA2S+ 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 LGBTQIA2S+ youth, allies, and families.
- Empower and liberate lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans, non-binary, queer, intersex, asexual, questioning, and allied youth.
- The first 150 students who register will receive a personalized goodie bag and free t-shirt with a custom design!
Breakfast, Snacks, and Lunch Provided!
Rainbow masks provided at registration!
Find us on Facebook
Follow Safe Schools Project on Instagram
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: Tyra Williams (she/her), Coordinator, Queer, Trans, and Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast / CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or (831) 427-4004
The Fall 2025 Summit theme is "Cosmic Queerness: An Affirming Universe”
About the Theme: Students from the Fall 2025 Student Summit Planning Committee have chosen the theme as “Cosmic Queerness: An Affirming Universe”
Theme Statement written by the Fall 2025 Student Summit Planning Committee:
The Queer Community can be described by its defining features such as accepting others, finding ourselves, and never giving up. We can also be explained by our night sky. The constellations represent groups; queer people come from and originate in every culture. The Muxes from México and Māhū from Hawaii are both groups of indigenous populations who we can historically trace to a non-conformative gender diversity within their constellations. These constellations are then broken down into stars, better known as the individuals themselves like Harvey Milk, RuPaul, Chappell Roan, Sarah McBride, and Demi Lovato. Each star expresses importance through their unique shine, a leading light of the Queer Community in our dark, vast space. All of these aspects gather to illuminate the path of an affirming future. Join us on this path to explore the night sky while celebrating the Queer Community with your peers.
- Save your spot at the Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast - Fall 2026!
- 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 closes Tuesday, September 23 by 5:00 pm.
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
We welcome all workshop and caucus proposals with a priority on youth-led submissions. Please note that all workshops will take place for exactly fifty minutes and caucuses are thirty minutes. The Fall 2026 theme is “Cosmic Queerness: An Affirming Universe.” Workshop topics relevant to the summit theme are highly encouraged but not limited to it.
Workshop Proposals Due: Thursday, September 10, 2026 @ 5:00 pm / No late proposals accepted!
Workshops:
- Session 1: 11:30 am – 12:20 pm
- Session 2: 12:30 – 1:20 pm
These are some suggestions for workshops:
Personal Health
- Healthy Relationships
- Mental Health in the Queer Community
- Self-care
- Queer Safer Sex and Consent Education
- Staying Healthy
- Mindfulness
Identity and Intersectionality
- Asexuality and Asexual Spectrum Identities
- Intersectionality
- Intersex Identities and Intersex Rights
- Trans, Non-binary, and Gender-Expansive Issues
- Religion and the Queer Community
- Racial Justice
Queer History
- Queer Figures in History
- History of LGBTQIA2S+ Rights
- Queer Figures in Media
Education
- Umbrella Terms
- Pronouns
- STEM
- Your Rights in Schools
- How to Advocate for Safer Schools
- Defining Microaggressions
Art
- Drag Makeup 101
- Film Making & Social Media
- Queer Theatre
- Queer Writing Workshop
Community Storytelling
- Coming Out Dialogue
- Sharing Experiences
- Dialogue on Racism
- Giving Space and Names to Experiences
Activism
- How to Contact Politicians
- Activism and Social Justice
- How to Design a Campaign for Social Change
- The Black Lives Matter Movement
Skills
- Coming Out 101
- How to be an Ally
- Life after High School for Queer & Trans Youth
- Life Skills & Self-Reliance
- Responding to Hate Speech and Intolerance
Caucuses
10:50-11:20 am: To be announced soon!
—> Submit a Workshop Proposal HERE by September 10, 2026
Here’s a sneak peek of all the workshops from the last Summit...
Students and community members under 18 are encouraged to submit a t-shirt design for the upcoming Queer, Trans, and Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2026.
The design contest is open to all currently enrolled high school and middle school students located in Santa Cruz, San Benito, or Monterey counties. All entries need to incorporate the summit theme “Cosmic Queerness: An Affirming Universe.”
The winning designer will receive a hoodie with the design and a $25 gift card.
- Guidelines – Learn how to submit a t-shirt design!
- Due Thursday, September 10 by 5:00 pm
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 21, 2026.
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 2025 Student Summit Planning Committee
- Alice
- Hi, my name is Alice and I use They/Them. I attend Los Gatos Highschool as a sophomore. This is my first year being involved with the summit. (As a guest and an organizer!)
- Cadence
- I’m Cadence, and my pronouns are she/ her. I am the co-president of Pacific Collegiate School and leadership of my Queer Intersectional Alliance. This was my first year working on and attending the summit, and I am so happy to have been a part of it!
- Carlos
- What’s up!! My name is Carlos Joel González, he/him, I’m co-president of Watsonville High School’s GSA and helped organize this event you’re at, have fun!!
- Ellie
- Hello! My name is Ellie and I use any pronouns. This is my 3rd year being a guest at The Queer Summit. This is my first year as an organizer.
LGBTQIA2S+ 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 — 2026-2027
Check out the 2026-2027 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 26th, 2026
9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Watsonville High School, Watsonville
Find us on Facebook
Simultaneous Spanish Translation provided
About the Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Conference
Understandings of gender are changing rapidly and it can be challenging to keep up! All children are limited by traditional gender roles and stereotypes, whether they are transgender, gender expansive, or not. Parents, guardians, educators, and adult allies 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!
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 "Understanding Gender" Conference
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) and additional community organizations in Monterey, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties. Please check our complete list of partners, supporters, and sponsors -- thank you!
Sponsorship Opportunities
For information on how to become a sponsor at the Fall 2026 Summit, please email us at CoordinateSummit@gmail.com or call (831) 427-4004
Thank you Bay Federal Credit Union!
- 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, 2024, 2025, and 2026, 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.
Rainbow Conference Outreach Hub Flyers Download
For downloadable PNGs and PDFs of all of our Student Summit & Rainbow Conference flyers and Instagram infographics, visit our Fall 2026 Student Summit/Rainbow Conference Outreach Hub on the Safe Schools Project Website!
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 26th, 2026 at Watsonville High School in Watsonville, please contact contact the Fall 2026 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:
Archives of Past Summits
Student Summits
- 2025: Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast -- Fall 2025
- 2024: Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast -- Fall 2024
- 2023: Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2023
- 2022: Queer, Trans, & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast — Fall 2022
- 2021: Queer, Trans & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast -- Fall 2021
- 2020: Queer, Trans & Allied Student Virtual Summit of the Central Coast -- Fall 2020
- 2020: Spring 2020 Student Summit
- 2019: Fall 2019 Student Summit
- 2019: Spring 2019 Student Summit
- 2017: Student Summit
- 2016: Student Summit
- 2015: Student Summit
Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summits
- 2025: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summit -- Fall 2025
- 2024: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Summit -- Fall 2024
- 2023: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit — Fall 2023
- 2022: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit — Fall 2022
- 2021: Parent/Guardian & Adult Allies Virtual Summit -- Fall 2021
- 2020: Parent/Guardian Summit -- Fall 2020
- 2020: Spring 2020 Parent/Guardian Summit
- 2019: Fall 2019 Parent/Guardian Summit
Rainbow Glitter Kids
The Safe Schools Project is a program of the Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County.