PFY in the Community: Molloy, Seaford & Hicksville   Pride For Youth is continuing its work to expand its range of services to more community agencies and other organizations, and these past few months have been especially busy, with staff and Peer Educators giving several workshops and taking part in other important events. On March 4, Molloy College School of Social Work held an annual Diversity Day with the theme of "Chronic Challenges and Unequal Burden." PFY Director Andy Peters moderated a panel of care receivers and care givers, including PFY participant Raikeem Farmer, who spoke about his experience with diabetes. Raikeem's classmates and teachers from Freeport High School's Prosper Program attended the event to cheer him on. Raikeem speaking at Molly School of Social Work's Annual Diversity Day. In Seaford, Peer Education Program Manager Devin Escobar, along with Peer Educators Nelson and Zaida, presented a series of homophobia workshops at a high school for teens with unique needs. The Seaford Academic Center is a Nassau BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) high school which runs several programs that allow students such as teenage mothers, GED students, and those who speak English as a second language to finish high school where they might ordinarily fall behind. A total of four very interactive workshops were presented. One of them was in Spanish -- the first time Pride for Youth has translated its homophobia workshop for a Spanish speaking audience. Devin, Zaida and Nelson also visited the Boys and Girls Club in Hicksville for a series of three successful workshops on Homophobia, Transphobia and Homophobia in the Media.     PFY Recieves Grant from Long Island Ravens On March 29, 2008, PFY Director Andy Peters and Assistant Director Mike Brown accepted a $200 grant from the Long Island Ravens Charity Fund. The contribution will be dedicated to PFY's annual Summer Camp. This year's Camp will take place at a KOA Campground outside of Boston, MA.     PFY's Participants Invited to Attend Opening Night of Musical On March 20th, members of Pride for Youth’s Young Womyn’s and Young Men’s groups attended the rock opera, bare, which made its Long Island debut at the Bellmore Stampfel Theater. bare is a musical that speaks about numerous issues facing young people as they navigate through high school. The subject matter, which included drug use, gay and straight relationships and teen pregnancy, was thought-provoking and highly relevant to the lives of Pride for Youth's participants. The play elicited both laughter and tears and lead to numerous meaningful discussions about the challenges faced by teens. Thank you to Frantic Fran’s Theatre, in association with R.E.M. Ltd., for welcoming PFY’s participants and staff to its show.

In This Issue:     PFY Peer Educator Wins LIVE OUT LOUD Scholarship Award   PFY Participants Invited to Attend Opening Night of Musical   PFY in the Community: Molloy, Seaford, & Hicksville   Beartrek 2008 a Big Success   PFY Recieves Grant from Long Island Ravens                 PFY Peer Educator Wins LIVE OUT LOUD Scholarship Award Nelson receives scholarship award from Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson at the LIVE OUT LOUD Young Trailblazers 7th Annual Gala. Pride for Youth Peer Educator Nelson Rodriguez was one of four metro-NYC high school seniors selected for a $2,500 college scholarship by LIVE OUT LOUD. A peer educator since August 2007, Nelson is also the Founder and President of Uniondale High School’s Gay/Straight Alliance, which has led the way to increasing LGBT awareness within the student body. According to LIVE OUT LOUD Executive Director Leo Preziosi, Jr., Nelson was a natural choice for the award. Says Preziosi, “The scholarship recognizes students who have come through the challenges of diversity with flying colors. Nelson is a compassionate young man who turned the ups and downs of his coming out experience into a learning opportunity. In the end, it made him an even stronger person.” Nelson will be attending Nassau Community College next fall and plans to continue his education at SUNY College at Plattsburg’s art therapy degree program. We are so proud of Nelson. Congratulations!! To learn more, visit www.liveoutloud.info.   Cheyenne Jackson with the LIVE OUT LOUD scholarship winners. Nelson, far right.   Beartrek 2008 a Big Success Hundreds took part in this year's Beartrek, the east coast's largest Bear Gathering. The event, of which PFY was a beneficiary, was held May 1st – May 4th and was attended by Pride for Youth Advisory Committee members Hernan Poza and Jesse Halpern. We really appreciate all of the volunteer time that Hernan and Jesse put into Beartrek! Pride for Youth thanks everyone who attended, Stevo Harris and Robb Colleluori from A Bear’s Life Magazine, Michael Malizia and Eric Adler for volunteering throughout the event, the Metrobears for their generous support, and Tom Hroncich at Outlook Magazine for helping to get the word out about Beartrek.     PFY Advisory Committee members Jesse Halpern and Hernan Poza.   If you are interested in volunteering, please click here. If you know anyone who would be interested in reading this newsletter, feel free to forward this email! If you've received this email and are not on the mailing list, but would like to be, please click here. If you would not like to receive these emails in the future, reply back asking to be removed from the mailing list.