#Kaleidoscope youth center movie
#Kaleidoscope youth center full
#Kaleidoscope youth center zip

#Kaleidoscope youth center movie

Kaleidoscope created a way to talk and share experiences during weekly check-ins on the chat app Discord, which also hosted more structured programming, like movie nights. Now, personalized messages from staff members-sometimes just вЂњYou good?вЂќ or a silly GIF-help connect QPOC participants to staff. It took a huge shift in thinking to inspire something simple: texting.

In fact, they wanted fewer such interactions after days spent speaking on camera. First, they took a hard look at what young people really need-it wasnвЂ™t more video calls. The pandemic showed QPOC staff that they had to carry out their mission of offering culturally sensitive support in a different way. More: KYCвЂ™s new executive director, Erin Upchurch, embraces the power of her voice вЂњAs a group, we were collectively fatigued sooner,вЂќ says Hewitt, who saw QPOC regulars called to support their families financially or to run households while their parents worked the frontline jobs disproportionately filled by people of color. Nearly half of KYCвЂ™s community participates in QPOC. This intersectionality represents a massive emotional weight in the best of times, but constant debates around Black lives and transgender rights can take a heavier mental toll. Karen Hewitt, KYCвЂ™s deputy director, leads the affinity group QPOC, or Queer People of Color, which supports the unique needs of youths who face discrimination on multiple fronts. Some feel unsafe spending more time at home with parents who reject their sexuality or gender identity.Д«ut the pandemic was only one burden of the past year. Cut off from natural support systems at places like KYC, which suspended drop-in hours in March 2020, they lost connections with those who offer emotional lifelines. The pandemic magnified the needs of young people like Dae Dae.

#Kaleidoscope youth center full

вЂњIf you donвЂ™t feel comfortable talking about who you are, at KYC, you can express yourself,вЂќ he says, pointing out that Kaleidoscope is full of people who give him compliments-not criticism-for the wigs he matches to his moods. вЂњThey get to set down their proverbial armor,вЂќ says Erin Upchurch, KYCвЂ™s executive director.Дae Dae, a gregarious teen whose smile lights up a Zoom screen, swears he was anti-social before he came to the Downtown drop-in center. Kaleidoscope will also be celebrating the Columbus Pride holiday by marching in the parade, hosting a Teen Tent, and participating in the festival, all on Saturday, June 18.For 27 years, Kaleidoscope Youth Center has given people in the LGBTQ community from ages 12 to 20 a place where they can shed their defenses against an unkind world. We will be opening our doors to the community for a second housewarming celebration on Thursday, June 9, 2016, from 7pm вЂ“ 9pm. Kaleidoscope moved to a new, bigger facility this year, opening our doors on February 29. I completed the Fundamentals of Fundraising Course in 2015. AFP has been a great resource as I evolved into the position of Development and Marketing Associate, the first development position established at KYC. Kaleidoscope has become more involved with AFP over the last few years as we have dedicated more time and resources to fundraising. Kaleidoscope serves hundreds of additional youth through the Ohio GSA Network, a program providing education, consultation, events, and organizing for our local Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) network and youth-serving professionals.

#Kaleidoscope youth center zip

Youth from more than 48 zip codes participated in KYC programming during calendar year 2015.Дuring 2015, KYCвЂ™s after school programming served 413 youth who made a total of over 4,000 visits to the Center to participate in programming. The Center primarily serves youth from Columbus and surrounding communities, while the GSA Network spans the state. Our staff, volunteers, and participants work together to cultivate a safe and supportive community in which our participants can thrive. KYC engages young people in inclusive, affirming, and empowering positive youth development programming. KaleidoscopeвЂ™s programming focuses on building resiliency and reducing risk factors for LGBTQ+ young people ages 12-20. Our vision is for youth across the spectrums of sexual orientation and gender identity to live healthy, whole lives with acceptance and freedom from oppression. The mission of Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) is to work in partnership with young people in Central Ohio to create safe and empowering environments for LGBTQ and Ally youth through advocacy, education, support, and community engagement. As told to us by Siobhan Boyd-Nelson, Development & Marketing Associate