Open to LGBTQ+ Middle and High School Students
Queer Youth Book Club is a social reading group for LGBTQIA+ middle and high school students. We will focus on new texts each month (books, zines, graphic novels), eat snacks, and have fun doing it! Each session will be hosted by a few mentors from our team and informed by youth interests; we may make art projects, assemble our own zines, watch movies, take field trips, have special workshops, etc. related to our monthly reads. Throughout our pilot program in 2019, our mentor team will also work to develop and connect resources for queer youth and their families. We hope that this club will cultivate a sense of belonging, foster opportunities for self-determination among area youth, and provide space for their creative and critical thinking. We may have multiple reading options each month to accommodate participants' ages or reading levels. We will continue to update this page to reflect changes in the program based on youth leadership.
Key collaborators on this project include representatives from Room of One's Own Bookstore, Madison Public Library Foundation, and Center for Community Healing. This project falls under ArtLitLab's umbrella of free and outreach programs, Youth Arts Lab, which is funded in part by the American Girl Fund for Children and Wisconsin Arts Board.
Snacks and books will be provided; we will have a monthly pizza party sponsored by Ian's Pizza! Late enrollment in the club is okay; contact Borealis at borealis@artlitlab.org to get updated information including current club reads or other club expectations. Students are asked to attend at least two sessions a month to stay active in the club.
Please register (free or by donation) so that we have emergency contact information for all participants and so that you can stay updated on date or location changes.