University to host Carolina Conference on Queer Youth

The 2014 Carolina Conference on Queer Youth “Building Support and Envisioning Justice for LGBTQ Youth in their Schools and Communities” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, in the Student Union.

The conference is free for those who sign up online and the entire community is invited to attend.

In its second year, the Carolina Conference on Queer Youth is a partnership between the UNC Charlotte Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), Time Out Youth and the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund. Its purpose is to bring together K-12 teachers, school counselors, middle/high school students, college students, community practitioners and activists to discuss a wide range of topics centered on queer youth identity. Conference organizers will also discuss ways to support queer youth in Southern school and community settings.

Josh Burford, assistant director for sexual and gender diversity, feels the conference is unique because it “seeks to bring together people working with queer youth to address problems they face, support each other’s work and envision a future where those students are free to participate fully in the world around them.”

Last year the conference drew more than 200 attendees.

Registration is available at Time Out Youth.

The University will offer continuing education credit for social workers.

For more information, visit the Multicultural Resource Center.