Music, cupcakes, and art supplies are just a few of the exciting things bringing together students of all grades this month at Pathways Hamilton. It’s all part of the program location’s celebration for Pride month, during which students created artwork and Pride flags to decorate their tutoring space.
Julianna Diller, who mentors students at Pathways Hamilton, came up with this idea to give youth the opportunity to share positive messages with their peers. That, in turn, is creating a more inclusive environment where different members of the LGBTQ2+ community feel welcomed.
Youth were given name tags where they could include their pronouns, which sparked new friendships as students shared their stories. For a few of the students who were struggling to express themselves authentically at home, this was an opportunity to feel accepted and seen as everyone around them was addressing them by their correct names and pronouns. Seeing how students came together to support each other means a lot to Julianna and the Pathways Hamilton team. “It was nice that the space we were able to create allowed them to get to know one another and build community.”
Check out the amazing artwork and Pride Flags that the students created to celebrate Pride:
