Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth Training

Co-operation Ireland, through the OUR Generation project, is delighted to offer youth workers, community workers, teachers, and other key professionals free training designed to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to better support LGBTQI+ young people in their settings. This interactive training will be delivered by expert facilitators from Belong To and Here NI.

Who is eligible?

Adults 18+ working with children and young people aged 9-25 in a professional or volunteer capacity. Includes youth workers, communtiy workers, and practitioners.

About this event

This joint training session will provide practical insight into supporting LGBTQI+ young people. Participants will explore:

· What can a youth worker do to best support an LGBTQI+ young person

· Information on sexual orientation and gender identity

· Tips for creating a safe space for LGBTQI+ youth at the youth club / school etc. - practical things that youth-facing staff can implement into their setting and how to respond if a young person comes out to you

· Best practice for supporting LGBTQI+ young people

· Some signposting on support organisations and what support both Belong To and Here NI provide

About Belong To

BeLonG To is the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation in the Republic of Ireland. They work with LGBTQ+ young people, aged between 14 and 23 years, offering support, information, and advocacy in schools, youth services, and beyond.

About Here NI

Here NI supports LGBTQ+ women and their families in Northern Ireland. They provide inclusive services, training, and advocacy, helping to create safer communities for LGBTQ+ individuals.

About the PEACEPLUS OUR Generation Project:

OUR Generation is a PEACEPLUS funded project led by Action Mental Health and a cross-border partnership of 9 organisations including Co-operation Ireland, Youth Action NI, Boys & Girls Clubs NI, Donegal Youth Service, PlayBoard NI, Youth Work Ireland, Include Youth, and Ulster University. OUR Generation will focus on delivering impactful initiatives for youth mental health and wellbeing and contribute to peace and reconciliation through cross-border and cross-community initiatives. The project aims to increase mental health literacy, enhance emotional resilience, build leadership skills of CYP and lead research in mental health and the impact of trauma on our communities. The project will incorporate trauma-informed practice and build interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intergroup skills in young people to promote shared learning and diversity. We will work with young people aged 9-25 and key youth workers including any adults working with young people in a professional or volunteer capacity.

Co-operation Ireland's will focus on connecting groups on a cross community and cross border basis based upon common needs and shared interests with the development of activities and training to address issues, specifically around the promotion of emotional resilience, empathy and understanding underpinned by building peace & reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.