The NDSU Safe Zone Ally Program was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Philanthrofund Foundation (PFund) to develop the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) Dakota Campus Alliance. The Safe Zone program was one of only 13 grant proposals out of 26 to be awarded a grant through the competitive selection process.
The LGBTQ Dakota Campus Alliance will provide outreach, training and education, support and resources to colleges and universities throughout the region of North and South Dakota. Building upon the existing Safe Zone Ally Program model at NDSU, campus partners will be invited to participate in campus assessments of need, training and education around sexual orientation and gender identity among college student populations and consultation services to develop campus-specific ally networks. Utilizing partnerships with NDSU Extension Services, the Alliance also will provide training, resources and consultation to Extension Agents working with youth development programs in every county across the states of North and South Dakota.
Although the grant was developed by Kara Gravley-Stack, outreach coordinator for the Equity and Diversity Center, other contributors on the project include Rachelle Vettern, NDSU Extension Service; Angela Mathers, graduate assistant for the Equity and Diversity Center; and Joshua Boschee, NDSU Career Services and president of the Pride Collective and Community Center.
The PFund Foundation is headquartered in Minneapolis and is focused on advancing social justice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer communities in the Upper Midwest.