WALTHAM, Mass.—Brandeis University Precollege Programs is launching a new program this summer to provide LGBTQIA+ high school students with an academic and historical perspective to support them in their development as leaders and scholars.
The Queer Academics and Activism program (QAA), which will be held on the Brandeis campus from June 23 through June 28, will enable high school youth to grapple with issues that are urgent and relevant to the LGBTQIA+ community. This six-day residential seminar will offer high school students a thought-provoking examination of the American queer experience. While other queer youth programs provide a focus on identity formation and social development, the Queer Academics and Activism program will help LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies to apply a scholarly lens to better know their community’s histories and consider their own futures.
“Many of today’s LGBTQIA+ high school students and their allies have come of age as activists, working together in innovative ways to create new networks and advance LGBTQIA+ rights,” said Wendy Cadge, professor of sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Brandeis and lead collaborator with the precollege programs office in developing the QAA program. “This is the first precollege program that provides high school students with a foundation in LGBTQIA+ history, sociology, and other disciplines. The Queer Academics and Activism program will enable students to examine activism and scholarship together in a way that provides them with an intellectual foundation for their current and future work.”
The seminar is designed to create enduring networks along with memorable, lasting friendships. As with other internationally recognized Brandeis pre-college programs in leadership, the arts, computer science, and medicine, students will benefit from keynote speakers, small-group faculty lectures, case studies, field trips, and other experiential learning opportunities.
“We know that young people often do not have the opportunity to learn about queer people, queer history, or queer cultures in traditional high school environments. This program will allow young people to explore these topics, as well as to meet other young people with similar interests,” said QAA advisory board member C. J. Pascoe, associate professor of sociology at the University of Oregon.
Candidates will be selected by their demonstrated commitment to and interest in queer issues and academic achievement. Teachers, guidance counselors, and youth group leaders are also encouraged to nominate students who they believe will benefit from the QAA program.
“Brandeis precollege programs are thoughtfully designed to offer talented young people the opportunity to experience the university environment and pursue their passions,” said Sue Marsh, executive director of Brandeis precollege programs. “The Queer Academics and Activism program expands our portfolio of high-quality programs to help high school students prepare for college.”
[From a News Release]
