LGBTQ Peer Mentor

Training

Bridgewater State

University

Facilitators:

Agenda 8:45-9:00AM Registration & Light Breakfast

9:00-9:15AM Warm Welcome, Introductions Activity

9:15-10:00AM Why We Are Here

10:00-10:45AM Working Together & Knowing Resources

10:45-11:00AM Break

11:00-11:45AM Tough Topics: Guest Speaker from Counseling Center

11:45-12:15 Wrap Up Q&A

12:15-12:30 Closing Remarks, Surveys

Welcome!

Welcoming Remarks

Introductions Activity

Name & Share: Who Has Been Your Mentor?

Why We Are HereThe purpose of the Peer Mentorship Program is to connect incoming

BSU Students who may identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual, pansexual and queer students with ‘out’ LGBTQ and ally upper

class students.

Our goals are to: ● To foster mentoring relationships between new students and current upper class

students that offer support, guidance and resources at Bridgewater State University.● To provide support for students who are “coming out” in the university community or

in their home communities.● To provide support for students who feel that they are currently unable to “come out”● To help answer questions LGBTQ students may have on a variety of topics including,

but not limited to, finding gender neutral facilities, community events, name changes, roommate concerns and addressing bias in and out of the classrooms.

● To create intergenerational links within the University community.● To provide helpful resources to students as they explore issues related to identity.● To provide a safe environment where students can connect to their LGBTQ peers.

Original Pride Flag, 1978

Who?

MentorsMentors are open LGBTQ or Ally BSU students

who volunteer to be a support for new students on campus.

They must be a junior or senior in good academic standing and have a desire to help incoming

students.

What Mentors Do...

• Offer Guidance & Support

• Answer questions about LGBTQ issues

• Be a confidante, resource and role model

• Offer access to “community” networks

• Listen to their mentees

Transgender Pride Flag

Mentors Are Not...

• Therapists

• Offering absolute confidentiality

• A replacement for close, personal friends

• A dating service

• Transportation

• A provider of drugs or alcohol

Why Are Here... Activity!

Part I - What’s Important?

• Write down the 3 most important people to you

• Write down your 3 favorite hobbies or activities

• Write down your biggest accomplishment

Bisexual Triangles

Why Are Here... Activity!

Part II - What’s Important

• Find a partner...someone you do not know so well

• 1 person will have 1 minute to talk to their partner about themselves. The partner does not say anything, just listens. After a minute, switch!

• You CANNOT talk about ANYTHING you wrote down

Why Are Here... Activity!

Part III - What’s Important

• Please share your reflections

• How was it to not talk about what you wrote down?

• How must that feel if the things most important to you were off limits to talk about?

Genderqueer Pride Flag

Working Together & Knowing Your Resources

BSU On Campus Resources

• GLBTA Pride Office – (508)-531-1408

• Center for Multicultural Affairs Office – (508)-531-6166

• Counseling and Health Center Office – (508)-531-1331

• BSU Police Department – (508)-531-1212

Working Together & Knowing Your Resources

Gender-Neutral Areas (Bathrooms, Halls, etc)

Residence Life Department

Counseling & Health Services

LGBTQ Friendly Majors & Minors

Safe Zones

Intersex Pride Flag

Activity!Pressure Pit

• All participants should evenly stand in the hoops (If there are 4 hoops and 16 participants, 4 people should be in each hoop)

• Hoops & Spots cannot move• You must cross the pit via the spot markers to

get to the hoop diagonal from you• Touching the floor sends everyone back• Once a spot is stepped on, it is activated. Once

activated, pressure must remain on the spot or it comes out of the game

• You cannot leave the pit until everyone is in it

Activity!

Pressure Pit

• Did anyone emerge as a leader?

• What was required to be successful in this activity?

• Where there different levels of success?

• What resources did you have?

Asexual Pride Flag

BREAK

“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained.”

Shawn Hitchcock

Tough Topics

__________ BSU Counseling Center

When to Manage & When to Seek HelpDepression & Anxiety

Self Harm & Suicidal ActionsHarm to Others

Self Care

Ally Flag

Tough Topics

Scenario Breakout Sessions

• Form groups of 3-4

• Practice scenarios

• Come together as group and process

Confidentiality & Paperwork

Confidentiality

• What to keep confidential and why?

• What to share and with whom?

Paper Work and Housekeeping

• Contract (read together out loud)

• Training Certificates and T-shirts

Feather/Drag Pride

Q&A

Questions?

Comments?

Concerns?

Closing Remarks

Announcements: Upcoming Events....

Multi-cultural Affairs Leadership Retreat

Film Series: Out With Dad

Surveys

Pansexual Pride

ResourcesAmerican University Center for Diversity & Inclusion, Spectrum Project: LGBTQ Peer to Peer

Mentoring, http://www.american.edu/ocl/cdi/spectrum.cfm

University of Southern California LGBT Peer Mentoring Program, http://sait.usc.edu/lgbt/signature-programs/lgbt-peer-mentoring-program.aspx

University of California Riverside Peer Connections, http://out.ucr.edu/programs/Pages/PeerConnections.aspx

Yale College Experience Peer Liaison Program, http://yalecollege.yale.edu/student-services/advising/student-advising-programs/peer-liaison-program