Purpose

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (the Alliance) aims to promote safety, support, and healthy development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, in Illinois schools and communities, through advocacy, education, youth organizing, and research.

The Alliance envisions a world in which youth develop to their fullest potential, learning in safe and nurturing schools, and living in communities that accept and honor differences, where everyone has the freedom to express their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The goals of the Alliance are:

1. Public Education: To educate and involve schools, community organizations, parents, public officials, youth, and the general public in Illinois, regarding sexual orientation and gender identity issues and the needs of LGBTQ youth in schools;

2. Youth Organizing: To engage youth across the state of Illinois to become leaders in the LGBTQ+ safe schools movement and support them as agents of change in their own schools and communities; and

3. Policy and Advocacy: To conduct advocacy activities that will result in the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity issues in the programs and policies that support the safety and well-being of youth.

Values

The Alliance aspires to be Trauma-Informed in our practices and programming and to promote body positivity.  We also seek to work under the lens of anti-oppression while using non-punitive approaches to conflict resolution.  For a working document articulating our values, please click here.

Professional Development

Providing highly quality, accessible professional development for school personnel, social service providers, and government officials, the Alliance’s educational workshops and training programs focus on sexual orientation and gender identity within a broader social justice and anti-oppression framework. Alliance staff works closely with participants to create specially tailored sessions for each context that are both engaging and educational.  

Brief descriptions of the most commonly requested workshops can be found here. For more information on any of the workshops or to request additional programming, please complete our intake form.

Policy and Advocacy

Recognizing the importance of inclusive policies within educational entities and human rights agencies, the Alliance staff and PHIMC Board work with key partners on policy and advocacy initiatives with schools, school districts, and government agencies at local, regional, and state levels.

For more information, please contact Julio Flores, Program Director Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. 

Youth Organizing    

Featuring Alliance Youth Committee members and other youth involved with our work, we hope the video at the top of this page inspires you to get involved in making schools better places for ALL youth, especially those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning.

For more information, please contact Julio Flores, Program Director Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.