Sixth Annual Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit Begins this Saturday
Last updated on August 27, 2020
Sixth Annual Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit will be Virtual and Continues to Impact Lives of LGBTQ+ Youth and Families
WHAT:
This Saturday, August 29, the first of three dynamic and interactive online sessions of the sixth annual Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit (OYES) will begin, presented by the City of Orlando in partnership with Zebra Coalition and other LGBTQ+ community organizations. OYES empowers Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ youth with workshops to help them become future leaders in the community by creating a dialogue about current issues impacting this population.
"LGBTQ+ inclusion continues to be a priority for the City of Orlando and is, yet another example of Orlando's continued commitment to equity,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Although COVID-19 has changed so much about our lives, it has not changed our continued unwavering support for LGBTQ+ youth and OYES is a testament to that.”
Alongside co-hosting with Rob Ward, Sean Quinlan, a UCF student, will join the panel this year as an LGBTQ+ youth representative from the OYES Broader Steering Committee. Sean will talk about how learning about Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit (OYES), encouraged him to become a part of the event and connect with more than 80 current registered attendees.
“I’m so excited to be part of my very first OYES conference to not only empower others, to develop their personal and leadership skills, but to learn from them to do the same for me,” said Sean Quinlan.
Also sponsoring the program again this year is local non-profit, Zebra Coalition, whose mission it is to support and inspire LGBTQ+ youth in the Central Florida area.
"Zebra Coalition is honored to join the City of Orlando and our community partners to host our annual Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit, this year uniting LGBTQ+ youth through an interactive virtual experience," said Heather Wilkie, Zebra Coalition Executive Director.
Since its inception in 2014, OYES has been supported by the City and LGBTQ+ community organizations to assure all communities feel welcomed, respected and valued regardless of race, cultural backgrounds, place of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or disability.
"OYES has been a resource for Orlando’s youth for many years, and I am proud to be a sponsor of this worthwhile event,” said District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. “There has never been a time in the history of our country when the values of diversity, inclusion, and LGBTQ Equality and Racial inclusion have been more important.”
WHEN:
Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Back to School: Mental Health & Support
Saturday, September 26, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Civic Engagement: Queer Political Power Panel of LGBTQ Elected Officials
Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Celebration of Resilience: LGBTQ History & Pride
MEDIA INSTRUCTIONS:
For media interviews and video, please contact Deputy Manager of Multicultural Affairs & International Relations, Luis M. Martinez at Luis.Martinez@Orlando.gov (email) or at 407-383-2073 (phone).
REGISTRATION & INFORMATION:
To register and obtain more information, please visit orlyes.org.
SUMMIT DETAILS:
The summit will feature a variety of workshops to help make a difference in Orlando, including:
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How to Cope with Non-Affirming Environments and/or Coming Out of Traumatizing Environments: In this workshop attendees will learn about mental health stigma, LGBTQ+ mental health, and work together to come up with wellness tools.
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Let’s Talk About Consent: This workshop will give participants an opportunity to learn about consent and healthy boundaries. It will be interactive and co-facilitated by VSC's LGBTQ+ advocate and Zebra Coalition youth. We will talk about various aspects of consent and how to communicate, set, and respect boundaries.
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Queer Political Power Panel of LGBTQ Elected Officials: LGBTQ+ elected officials and activists will encourage young people to become civically engaged. Civic participation in our is critical for a healthy democracy. These leaders will share their own personal journey as advocates for our community and cover topics such as running for office as an openly LGBTQ+ person, coming out, and the importance of voting will be explored during this panel.