Training Course: "Working With Queer Youth" in Lithuania

Training Course: "Working With Queer Youth"
16-21 May 2023 | Vilnius, Lithuania

Queer young people experience risk of discrimination, bullying, hate speech and hate crimes at a higher rate than other young people throughout Europe. Which also puts them at a higher mental health risk and creates an environment of harder struggle in shaping their own identity and trying to develop a sense of belonging, bodily autonomy and self-determination (according to FRA 2019 LGBTI II Survey).

Youth workers can be a bridge for queer youth in accessing and/or creating safer spaces such as collectives, events and support groups. For this, youth workers need a broader understanding of queer experiences and the resources that are available to them locally and internationally.

Objectives:
To understand better what role could youth workers play in the lives of queer young people.
To empower youth workers to become strong allies for queer youth, through direct support and/or the ability to access external resources.
To learn about the complexities of LGBTIQ+ and Queer experiences.
To deconstruct personal biases regarding gender and sexual identities.
To understand the challenges that young queers could face and how they shape their lives and communities.
To look into our practices critically and asses how supportive they can be for queer youth
To plan how to integrate more inclusive practices in our local context