Help lead our Movement!

The Iowa Pride Network Leadership Team and Youth Council is a diverse group of youth leaders from college and high schools all over Iowa. As a member of the Leadership Team and Youth Council you will learn skills to become a stronger activist and work towards creating a safer climate at your school for LGBTQ youth and straight allies. You will get support around creating a campaign, event planning or starting a GSA club on your campus. In addition, members are responsible for giving input and helping guide the programs of the Iowa Pride Network. Members will represent the needs of college GSAs and youth activists from their campus as well as plan events and lead peer to peer workshops, leadership trainings, conferences and other organizing projects. 

In addition you'll have opportunity to:

o        Help plan and run youth led conferences or present workshops at local and national conferences

o        Plan and participate in Iowa Pride Network social activities

o        Apply to become a peer-to-peer youth trainer

o        Discuss emerging trends in the LGBTQ and greater social justice movement

o        Provide occasional technical assistance to other GSAs

To Apply:
College Students: Apply HERE
High School Students: Apply HERE

IPN to Launch Weekly Podcast!

 Become a Fan and Like us on Facebook by clicking HERE

We are very excited to announce that we’re currently in production of our official podcast which will appropriately be known as Pridecast. This weekly audio podcast will help us keep students up-to-date on IPN events and other happening across Iowa and be available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.  This will also allow us to connect with like minded persons throughout the country and around the globe!!

This is a very exciting project for us!!  The most exciting part will be YOUR involvement.  This is YOUR podcast.  This is YOUR voice.  We have an idea of what the podcast will sound like, but we are more interested in what YOU want to hear.  What’s going to make the podcast interesting for you?  What will keep you involved week after week?

The last few months have been spent in development and the first show will be released during the first week of June 2011!!  So, during the next couple weeks, we NEED YOUR HELP!  Send us your topic ideas, segment ideas, and show ideas!!

If you have ideas, email them to: outreach@iowapridenetwork.org with the “pridecast” in the subject line! 

NO idea is a bad idea... we want them all!!! Looking forward to hearing from everyone!!  And...WELCOME TO PRIDECAST!!!

Sincerely,

Billy Dohrmann

Pridecast Producer

"Make it Better, Iowa" Project Launches!

 View the Main website HERE!

About the Project

The mission of the project is to use theatre training and storytelling to help make Iowa a better place for LGBT youth to grow up. Make it Better, Iowa  is a collaboration between Working Group Theatre, The UI Center for Human Rights, and Iowa Pride Network with support from Prairie Lights Bookstore and Hotel Vetro. It is divided into 3 parts. Read about them below to find out how you can be a part of Make it Better, Iowa.

Part One: The Training

Theatre Training for WGT Company members with Dr. Karen Mitchell, a Theatre of the Oppressed/Forum Theatre specialist from the University of Northern Iowa. Don’t know about Theatre of the Oppressed? Dont know about the Theatre of the Oppressed?  Read up.

Part Two: The Workshop

April 2nd: 9am-12pm, 1:30pm-4:00pm

IP COMMONS

WGT and UICHR will offer a free public workshop, open to anyone who works with LGBT youth and is interested in using theatre as a tool to combat oppression and facilitate discussion.  Led by Dr. Karen Mitchell with assistance from WGT. Interested in participating? Send an email here to register and receive more details.

Part Three: The Event

IOWA CITY— Working Group Theatre has teamed up with The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, Iowa Pride Network, Prairie Lights Bookstore, and The Hotel Vetro to present Make it Better, Iowa. It will be held Sunday, April 17th at 4pm in the Hotel Vetro’s Grand Ballroom. The event will feature a theatrical performance, personal storytelling and a Skyped in appearance by Dan Savage who will be talking about the release of “It Gets Better” the book. Prairie Lights will have the book available for purchase at the event and a portion of all proceeds will go to the Iowa Pride Network and United Action for Youth. Admission is free and open to the public.

Check out the "Make it Better, Iowa" website!


 

Save the Date: Spring Soiree set for 4-28-11

(Principal Financial, 2010 Partner in Progress Award winner stands with Iowa Pride Network student members at last year's annual Spring Soiree and Honors Benefit) 

Iowa Pride Network Event Benefits LGBT Students and Gay-Straight Alliances

Iowa Pride Network (IPN) will host its annual Spring Soiree and Honors Benefit for LGBT students on Thursday, April 28th from 7-9 p.m. at zart1312 located at 1312 Locust Street in downtown Des Moines.

This exciting event highlights Iowa's best high school and college Gay-Straight Alliances; honors those who better the lives of Iowa's students with the annual Roger F. Wendt Education award, and recognizes those that further IPN's mission with the Partner in Progress Award. 

Save the Date and make plans now to attend this annual event to benefit LGBT students!

To nominate a person or organization for the Roger F. Wendt Education Award, or to nominate you Gay-Straight Alliance, please click HERE.

(Guests at last year's annual Spring Soiree and Honors Benefit)

(Southeast Polk High School with their award for Best High School GSA)

(Waldorf with their award for Best College GSA)

(Students with Representative Roger F. Wendt)

                                               

Zach Wahls to Keynote GSA Conference

Zach Wahls, University of Iowa student will be one of Iowa Pride Network's keynote speakers at this year's Gay-Straight Alliance Conference to be held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on April 23rd.  The son of two lesbian mothers is known for his speech to the Iowa House of Representatives defending their right to marry. Recently Zach was seen on the Ellen Degeneres Show and The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC.

Admission to the GSA Conference is FREE and also includes a keynote from Danielle Askini, Transgender Rights Activist and National Program Manager of the National Association of GSA Networks.  The conference will end with a concert by Leslie Hall and her band, Leslie and the LYs. The concert is free for conference attendees and $10 for the public)

Register for this FREE conference HERE.

Now Accepting "Best GSA Award" Nominations

THE IOWA PRIDE NETWORK AWARD

Recognizing & Honoring Iowa’s Best Gay-Straight Alliances

-NOMINATION APPLICATION FORM -

APPLICATION DEADLINE April 15th, 2011

The Iowa Pride Network Awards are designed to recognize and honor Iowa’s best middle school and/or high school Gay-Straight Alliance and college and/or university LGBT group.  The awards go to LGBT student organizations that have shown a committed effort to raise awareness of LGBT issues on their campus and in their communities; and have pioneered programs that have increased the respect for LGBT people. 

Iowa Pride Network Award winners will be recognized at Iowa Pride Network’s Spring Soirée and Honors Benefit in Des Moines, Iowa April 28, 2011. Applicant’s student leaders and/or advisor(s) must be able to attend the official ceremony in April.  Award winning organizations will also receive $250.00 in support. 

Download the Nomination Form and mail in your supporting materials by clicking HERE.

 OR

Nominate your GSA Online and upload your supporting materials by clicking HERE. 

 (Ames Spectrum GSA holding a meeting, photo taken by the Ames Tribune)

Now Accepting Nominations for Education Award

THE ROGER F. WENDT EDUCATION AWARD

Recognizing & Honoring those who Champion Efforts

that Better the Lives of Students in Iowa

-NOMINATION APPLICATION FORM -

APPLICATION DEADLINE April 1, 2011

Iowa Pride Network’s Roger F. Wendt Education Award serves to recognize and honor those who champion efforts that better the lives of students in Iowa.  The award is named after Representative Wendt, a lead sponsor of Iowa’s historic Safe Schools Law which protects students from harassment and discrimination. The individual’s or organization’s achievements to date will be key to the selection committee’s appraisal; promise for ongoing advancement of their work will be considered.

Nominee Criteria and Eligibility:

• Award winners will have an exceptional record of substantive, innovative contributions in educational initiatives that have bettered the lives of students in Iowa.
• In keeping with Iowa Pride Network’s mission, award winners will support the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
• Award winners must be nominated by a third party.
• Award winners must participate in Iowa Pride Network’s awards ceremony at the annual Spring Soiree and Honors Benefit on April 28^th, 2011 in downtown Des Moines.
• Nominations must be received no later than April 1^st, 2011

Nomination Process:

• Complete the nomination form by either mailing in the form to Iowa Pride Network offices with supporting documents or by filling out the form online and uploading the supporting documents.
• Click Here to download the nomination form OR
• Click Here to nominate an individual or organization online