SAFE HARBORS PROJECT

Safe Harbors Introduction

Safe Harbors is intended to be a way for individuals to locate supportive structures for LGBTQ+ Youth across North Dakota by:

Locating the support within schools, communities, and child protective services
Share resources with individuals across these communities
Create a statewide networks of safety across North Dakota

Harbor Health Initiative is doing this because our LGBTQ+ Youth are simply not safe, cannot find support, nor have access to adequate resources to build a future. We want to interrupt the cycles of trauma they experience growing up here and create a state where everyone can truly thrive

2025 State of the State Report

The State of the State Report for LGBTQ+ Youth is a comprehensive look at how our kids are doing across multiple systems, most notably our k12 system through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The report includes the work that Harbor Health Initiative has done to survey counselors across the schools and builds on the work we did in 2021 for the North Dakota LGBTQ+ School Climate Report.

This report includes perspectives of organizations, state data, professionals, youth, and parents. It should serve as the guiding document for anyone who would like to better understand and support the queer youth who struggle today.

We are currently taking volunteers to help spread this report to as many folks as possible!

SOTS LGBTQ+ Youth Report

Volunteer

Safe Harbors 2024-2025 Project Goals

Each year we focus on areas we’ve identified as issues during past years. To the right you can look at the Project Goals we have for the 2024-2025 school year.

While the Safe Harbors project is not simply aimed at education, the reality is that the majority of our youth will be intersecting with the education systems and it will be the most likely area to ensure they have access to support.

This year outside of looking for support for youth, we’re going to intentionally be looking for ways to support school staff as well. The trauma they experience is real and the associated burnout and stress from not being able to help kids who are suffering making their work so difficult in this state.

Like with the entirety of the project, we always take feedback for what can be done better or what needs to be focused on!

Resources for Interested K12 Staff

Hello! As part of the questions above various associated school professionals might express interest in resources, staying on top of new resources, or express desire to be part of an LGBTQ+ Support Network.

Best Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth in North Dakota

Print Out of All North Dakota Essential Resource
GSA, Family, and Youth Resources – Some Items Out of Date, But Will Be Revitalized and Still Useful ATM
Night of Hope Event – Hour Long Video Event about Hope from Queer Adults Across the State

Stay in Touch for LGBTQ+ Resources, Opportunity, and News

Sign up for the Safe Harbor Mailing List – Here is our Latest Newsletter!
General LGBTQ+ and Statewide Community News Here

Statewide LGBTQ+ Support Network
This will be created at the end of this project and represent the entirety of invested stakeholders who want to make sure LGBTQ+ youth have the safety to learn and environment to thrive. It’ll be a place to share resources, support each other, and support the youth. What this means will continue to evolve, but it is ultimately intended to make our k12 staff feel more support, less isolated, and more secure in their resources and knowledge for students.

Contact

For any issues or questions about this project, please reach out to project coordinator Faye Seidler at Fayeseidler@gmail.com.