As high school students look toward their future they scrutinize their list of colleges, whittling it to find which they can afford, which has the right combination of classes to meet their career goals, and which is far enough away from home to assure their independence.
But some students are also looking to find the colleges and universities that are welcoming to LGBT students and the Ocean County Library can help them by presenting a program to examine the options.
The Toms River branch, 101 Washington St., will host “Choosing a Gay Friendly College: A Conversation and Reception” for students 14 and older Tuesday Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Michael LaSala, author and director of the MSW program at the Rutgers School of Social Work; Christian Oliviera, Program Director for Garden State Equity and founding member of Rutgers University’s Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity for gay men; and members and alumni of the Ocean County College Rainbow Alliance along with their advisor Megan Procaccini will discuss the importance of finding a welcoming college atmosphere.
Members of the Toms River Gay-Straight Book Club will volunteer their laptops to help participants examine a database that presents information about the Campus Climate Index, a national assessment tool by designed by Campus Pride, and other Internet resources.
Campus Pride, launched in October 2002, is a national nonprofit organization working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students.
The program is free. Registration for the program is encouraged but not required.
The program is sponsored by Insight Out, Ocean County Library’s Diversity Focus Team; Toms River Gay Straight Book Club; Jersey Shore PFLAG; Ocean County College Office of Multicultural Services; The Ocean County Human Rights Commission; and the Toms River South Gay Straight Alliance.
0 Responses to “Helping students find a LGBT-welcoming college”