A Conversation on Cultivating LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces for Ag Youth

Summary: It is important for agricultural educators to create inclusive and safe learning environments for all youth. This includes taking intentional steps to make LGBTQ+ youth feel like there is a space for them in the agriculture industry, 4-H, and FFA. But it’s not always easy to know where to start.

You can take your first step by joining us for “A Conversation on Cultivating LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces for Ag Youth.” This webinar is intended to equip ag educators with practical strategies and insights to foster inclusivity, understanding, and equity in their programs. Implementing this knowledge will enable teachers and leaders to best support all students. This increased support will go on to draw in even more students to join the program! (Increased inclusivity = increased # of members!)

Why are we talking about LGBTQ+ youth in agriculture?

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate diversity and the LGBTQ+ community.
45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in 2022 – but those who felt affirmed and supported at school had lower rates of acting on those thoughts (source: The Trevor Project).
Everyone has a place in the agricultural industry and deserves to feel like they belong.
By cultivating an inclusive environment and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in ag, we can increase positive health outcomes for that population as well as increase the number of youth who plan to go into the ag industry in the future!

Intended Audience: Ag educators, teachers, parents, community members

Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to…

Have a better understanding of LGBTQ+ youth and their experiences
Feel confident in helping LGBTQ+ youth to feel like they have a space where they belong in agriculture
Be prepared to create LGBTQ+ safe spaces in the ag education classroom
Be able to find and share resources in the local community to support LGBTQ+ youth

Special thanks to the Cultivating Change Foundation (CCF) for working with AgriSafe to make this webinar a reality! CCF is a nonprofit whose goal is to “value and elevate LGBTQ+ agriculturists through advocacy, education, and community.”

Luke Allen, BS

Luke Allen grew up on a grain and livestock farm in central Illinois and was an ag teacher in Clifton, IL before he joined as a Program Advisor for Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE), where he has been now for 18 years. At FCAE, Luke serves as a resource for school officials, teachers, and others with an interest in agricultural education in Northeast Illinois. Luke is invested in developing Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (AFNR) programs in urban and suburban areas with special emphasis on inspiring nontraditional and under-served populations to find their passion in AFNR careers. Currently, he is chair of the planning committee of the Cultivating Change Foundation, which works to support LGBTQ+ people in AFNR careers. He has become a national speaker for LGBTQ+ inclusion in agriculture and AFNR education, and this work has led to co-chairing a new Ag Education Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force in Illinois.