Indiana Youth Group Programs

Discussion and Support Groups:

- What's Happenin' Group meets once weekly to informally discuss or partake in activities relevant to youth education, recreation, and well-being. The topics include current events, politics, health issues, LGBTQ issues, and fun activities.

- Sex, Dating, and Relationship Group meets once weekly to discuss topics and to share information relevant in their lives regarding relationships, dating, and sex. This group provides a discreet and nonjudgemental forum for youth to freely talk about important issues.

- Coming Out Support Group meets once a month and serves as a support and discussion group for IYG youth who are somewhere in the process of coming out.

Youth Council:
- Youth Council is a meeting that is held every Thursday evening where the youth of IYG discuss future and current events at IYG and make decisions upon house rules. This is where youth "make things happen" for the agency.

Creative Arts:
- We have various creative arts programming throughout the year to correlate with IYG events or for recreation. Some of these activities include: creative writing, arts and craft projects, acting improvisation, etc.

There is also an IYG Film Project, in which the youth created their own public service announcement on LGBT acceptance and will be soon working on a short film.

Prevention and Education Programs:
We offer LGBT youth specific smoking cessation classes once a quarter and also have a youth advocacy group called Queers Undoing Industry Targeting who are present at different LGBT community events throughout the year to help educate and inform the community on the targeting of the gay community by Big Tobacco.

HIV/STD
prevention and education: We offer free confidential HIV testing on-site, are stocked with safer sex supplies, and have presentations to realistically educate the youth on how to effectively protect themselves.

Leadership:
For the 2006 - 2007 school year, IYG will continue its efforts to network the existing Gay Straight Alliances in the local high schools to better connect their , planning with one another to assist student leaders in the operation of the group, and to encourage a other youth to pioneer GSA's in their schools if they do not already have one.

Other examples of youth leadership within IYG include youth participation in protests and activist events, youth speaking publicly for equal rights or to educate the public on LGBT youth issues, youth involvement in planning and volunteering for community events and fundraisers, etc.

Counseling & Social Services:
IYG provides counseling sessions to IYG youth who want to talk and connects youth with the proper outside resources if they are seeking services that IYG does not offer ( substance abuse treatment, housing, etc.). We also keep a small food pantry available for youth who may need the assistance with food and hygiene supplies.

Food Nights:
Once or Twice a week volunteers bring dinner in for the youth and serve it at the center. We have a fully functional kitchen that makes food nights very convenient.

Drop-In / Program Center:
Our drop-in center serves as a safe a confidential environment for LGBT youth to hang out and be themselves. The drop-in center is has a fully functional kitchen, plenty of lounge space, and a bathroom with a shower that youth who may not have access to these things ( homeless or other circumstances) may come in and use. Youth may also have mail sent to an assigned mailbox at IYG if they have no real mailing address.

You can help IYG in many other ways including underwriting expenses, programs, or special events, donating goods, or volunteering.
Click here for our current listing of opportunities