Dozens of educators and school counselors will gather in Charlotte on Friday to learn how to better support LGBTQ youth.
Time Out Youth is hosting its eleventh annual Carolina Conference on Queer Youth. The event brings together youth-serving professionals to learn how to create welcoming classrooms.
Other groups, including Charlotte Trans Health, PFLAG Charlotte and Welcoming Schools, are also presenting. Sessions will cover how to work with families of LGBTQ youth and the impact of social media on mental health.
It's an especially charged time politically. In 2024, The Trevor Project reported that 39% of LGBTQ+ youth had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. The goal of the conference is to help educators build safe spaces for open conversations.
“Everyone who attends leaves the conference feeling more secure in their ability to serve LGBTQ+ young people," Time Out Youth's Elissa Miller said. "They have more resources available to them when a young person comes up to them and needs support.”
The conference takes place Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
