The Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network (JASMYN) is a non-profit center founded in 1994 for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 13-23.
JASMYN’s mission is to support and empower LGBTQ youth by creating safe space, providing youth development services and bringing people and resources together to promote diversity and human rights.
JASMYN offers youth development programs & support services including: A Drop-In Center, Case Management, Student Support, HIV Prevention & Education, LGBT Diversity Trainings & Advocacy, a STD Health Clinic where LGBTQ youth ages 13-23 can access free & confidential HIV & STD testing, counseling, education, treatment & linkage with on-site medical staff.
The Goal of the Student Support Project is to support the educational success of LGBT students in northeast Florida through leadership development, advocacy, resource organizing, and convening students and educators around LGBT student support, safety and leadership.
The strategy specific to this event is to provide: direct student support to LGBT students through programming, leadership development, and individual consultation that will enhance their efforts to organize Gay Straight Alliances; education & resources to school teachers, administrators, counselors and community organizers around LGBT issues; and to work with school administrators & school board officials around policies and laws that affect LGBT students and develop resources around effective response to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment.
The Student Support Project will increase the sense of school safety and connectedness for LGBTQ students and increase the sense of connection to a larger community. School administers, teachers, counselors and other professionals in the education field will have accurate information around issues that affect the LGBTQ community including: bullying, suicide and drop-out rates. They will also have an increase of knowledge and skills necessary to create safe classrooms and schools for LGBTQ students.
JASMYN has hosted 4 GSA Network events & a LGBT High School Leadership Summit.
JASMYN has trained over 100 School employees on issues affecting LGBT students, and hosted the Teaching Respect for All Seminar in October 2010.
72% of students surveyed reported they heard homophobic remarks frequently or often at school. (GLSEN 2009 National School Climate survey)
61% of students surveyed felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. (GLSEN 2009 National School Climate survey)
Students in schools with a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) had a greater sense of connectedness to their school communities than students without GSA’s. (GLSEN 2009 National School Climate survey)
Over 14% of High School Students did not go to school because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to school. Duval County High School Students Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2009
National surveys show that LGBT students are 3 times more likely than non LGBT students to feel unsafe. (American Psychological Association: Healthy LGBT Students Project)
JASMYN has helped support my GSA with awesome resources. I feel like we can make a difference in our school.
- Jacksonville Student, 16
JASMYN has giving me a space to come and not be awkward, but rather part of a group.
- Student, 17
I learned so much at the Teaching Respect for All: Creating Safe Schools for LGBT students seminar. It provided me with enough valuable information to do some educating myself. The experience was positive, healthy and educational. These three things are hard to walk away with in today's society from practically any experience.
- Jacksonville Educator
