Rainbow Village

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This day is for youth ages 11-14 years old who identify as lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, pansexual, non-binary, transgender, two spirit and within the broader rainbow village community. We also welcome youth who are questioning their identities.

We will gather at Arcata Community Forest park on Saturday, July 9th from 10am-5pm with lunch provided. For ADA accessibility, there is a pathway near the meadow.

We are keeping this group small with up to 15 youth for optimum community building and bonding.

Our intention for this day is:

• To cultivate a sense of community and peer support
• To guide conversations around tough topics like: alcohol/substance use, relationships, safe sex, discrimination and a positive sense of self. 
• To empower youth to advocate for themselves and each other locally and federally
• To have fun and build accessible coping skills to ease stress

This day long is co-facilitated by two local therapists, Larissa Hul-Galasek, LMFT and Abigail Hudson-Crim, LCSW. We both identify as part of the rainbow village and understand the importance of supporting youth at this age. Queer and trans youth are at higher risk of substance abuse, homelessness, mental health issues and suicide. What helps tremendously is having a caring and supportive network of adults in their lives. If you are an adult reading this, you are a big part of that network, thank you! We aim for this day to help build resiliency in our community. 

That being said, we want to be clear that this isn't a therapy group, but we strive to cultivate an atmosphere of celebration, support and pride!

We will be gathering at Arcata Community forest park, in the meadow with a canopy. Here is an overview of what the day might look like, but it is subject to change:

10am-11am: Arrival, getting to know each other, setting agreements

11am-12:30pm: Creative projects of pronoun pins, flag bracelets or magnets, journaling project

12:30pm-1:30pm: Yummy and healthy lunch provided

1:30pm-2:30pm: Expressive arts and nature activity

2:30pm-4:00pm: Pride history and Circle conversation about topics youth want to discuss. Topics may include alcohol/substance use, safe sex, navigating relationships and discrimination

4:00pm-5:00pm: Closing appreciations, prize picks and resources for advocacy

After you register, we'll be sending a list as we get closer to the date, but we wanted to give you a sense of what might be useful to have:

• A water bottle
• Snacks
• Clothing and layers for coastal climate 
• A camping chair or blanket/towel to sit on
• An object that is meaningful to them for our centerpiece

We strive for this offering to be accessible and have several reduced rates/free spots for youth who may need them. We are dedicated to creating a safe and diverse space and especially welcome BIPOC youth. We also create opportunities for those who recognize their areas of privilege to contribute to scholarship funds.

Pre-registration is required.

Thanks to generous contributions from our community, we have fully funded scholarship spots available. Please fill out the form with "scholarship" in the contribution amount to be considered. (Disclosure: we aren't going to turn anyone away)

Payment Options:  

We accept checks addressed to: Larissa Hul-Galasek at 665 F St. Suite C Arcata, CA 95521

We also have the option for debit and credit card payment including Visa, Mastercard, Amex through IvyPay. If you prefer to pay by card, you will receive a text prompting you to input your card information for a one-time payment. IvyPay is a secure and encrypted payment platform. IvyPay: terms of service. 

Early Bird Rates (register before June 10, 2022)

$75 for the daylong including lunch and prizes

For those who recognize their privilege and are able to contribute to scholarship funds:

$95 daylong cost with $20 to scholarship funds

$115 daylong cost with $40 to scholarship funds

$150 daylong cost with a full scholarship 

Rates (register after June 10, 2022 until close of registration on June 30, 2022 5pm)

$80 for the daylong including lunch and prizes 

For those who recognize their privilege and are able to contribute to scholarship funds:

$100 daylong cost with $20 to scholarship funds 

$120 daylong cost with $40 to scholarship funds 

$160 daylong cost with a full scholarship 

Again, if you would like to be considered for scholarship, please indicate that in the registration form by writing "scholarship" in the contribution amount space. 

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund without registering a child for the event, thank you! Your support to the community is valued. There is a link under the registration form that you can click on to provide information. You can also mail a check addressed to: Larissa Hul-Galasek at 665 F St. Suite C Arcata, CA 95521. Please indicate in the memo that it is for "Rainbow Village Scholarship Fund"

Please, reach out if you have questions or would like to discuss options.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You can contact Larissa at 707-572-6541 or lhgcounseling@protonmail.com