Become a Leader in Your Community with the GSTA Network Student Council!
Are you part of a GSTA (Gay, Straight, & Transgender Alliance) or a similar club at your school? Are you interested in advocacy and connecting with other LGBTQIA2S+ youth and allies across Maine? Then we’d love for you to join the GSTA Network Student Council!
This group of students from all across the state will be meeting virtually every month during the school year to discuss current issues, plan regional meetups, come up with activities or lesson plans for GSTA clubs in their area, act as your school/community’s representative, and more. Each position in the Student Council comes with a paid stipend. That’s right; you could get paid for your advocacy work!
Requirements:
- November 1st to June 30th commitment (2025-2026)
- Must be in 8th-12th grade
- Attend most school GSTA meetings
- Attend all monthly GSTA Student Council meetings
- Act as a representative for your school GSTA and your community on the GSTA Student Council
- Complete work on projects, initiatives, or events with council peers and OUT Maine staff
To apply, fill out the form linked below. If you need assistance completing the form, please contact OUT Maine’s School Engagement Coordinator, Soren Erwich (soren@outmaine.org). Applications are due by October 17th at midnight.
This is a great opportunity to get real, paid advocacy work on your resume and make connections within Maine’s LGBTQIA2S+ community. We can’t wait to work with you!
Previous Projects & Ideas to Get You Started
In the 2024-2025 iteration of the GSTA Student Council, students worked to support their various communities through a variety of projects. One student organized a game night at their local school library to bring the schools’ clubs together to enjoy a night of camaraderie, while another student collaborated with their schools’ crochet club to create items for Portland Pride to donate to Maine Trans Net, and yet another student started organizing towards having an art show focused on transgender identities in tandem with the schools’ winter concert. Members of the council are free to work on projects that they are passionate about and create the impact they would like to have on their community.