SAFE ZONE TRAININGS
Safe Zone is a training curriculum designed to heighten awareness of LGBTQ issues and concerns.

Safe Zone is geared toward creating straight allies, though people who identify as LGBTQ are welcome to attend. The sessions combine lecture with activities and interactive discussion

ALL UIC Students, Faculty and Staff are encouraged to attend this University-sanctioned training. Release time is generally granted according to the Attendance at University Events policy. For more information, please contact University Human Resources.

The GSC offers Safe Zone 101, Latino/a Safe Zone 101 and Asian American Safe Zone 101. We will launch the African-American Safe Zone 101 in February of 2012.  The culturally specific trainings provide an intentional space to focus on questions, vocabulary, and family connections in our communities.

Interested in being part of Safe Zone at UIC?  Please e-mail the GSC at lgbtqa@uic.edu for more information.  We’d be happy to design a curriculum to suit your needs or get you into an upcoming training.

GUEST CLASSROOM LECTURES & VISITS
Would you like the GSC to visit your class?
We can customize a presentation for your specific course and are always interested in working with faculty to enhance classroom work.
We can provide useful information for students in

• A 15 minute overview of GSC services and programs;
• A 45 minute presentation addressing terminology, LGBTQA student issues, local and national current events, and resources available.
• A longer program (1-2 hours) where we go over a variety of issues concerning the LGBTQA communities with more interactive activities such as video clip discussion, self-reflection, and small group discussion.

Please give us at least two weeks notice with your request!

E-mail the GSC at lgbtqa@uic.edu and include 1) Your name 2) Email and phone 3) Title of course 4) Kind of presentation desired, and 5) Three different times and days available. We will respond to you to confirm date and time.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
We are committed to student leadership and collaboration.  Is your student organization looking for a free speaker to come in and present about gender, sexuality, and LGBTQA communities at UIC?  We can help.

We have provided presentations for sororities and fraternities, AASIA, Graduate Student Council, and the Residence Hall Association.

If you would like to have us come to your organization, please e-mail the GSC at lgbtqa@uic.edu and include
1) Your name, 2) Email and phone, 3) Student Organization, 4) Kind of presentation desired, and 5) Three different times and days available. We will respond and confirm a date and time.

LGBTQ RELATED COURSES at UIC
The great thing about having an interest in gender and sexuality is that it has applications in all disciplines. In many of the Colleges at UIC, there are courses that directly address diverse LGBTQA communities. We are working to compile a list of those courses and will make that available here soon.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
There are two LGBTQ- specific scholarships administered through the Scholarship Association for UIC (SAUIC).

1) Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues; $600 Undergraduate Award.
Demonstrated leadership and involvement in the promotion of a positive identity for LGBT students through UIC and/or Chicago community.  http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/scholar/awards_any_major.html

2) Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues; $500 Graduate Award.

• Must be a continuing graduate student in good standing with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0 and who has completed at least one semester at UIC
• Paper authored by you in the past three years while a graduate student at UIC that contributes to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender research/scholarship.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS AWARD: In addition to the common SAUIC application, please download the paper submission coverpage here. Please also include your curriculum vita with your paper submission.
*Please note that one of your recommendations must come from an advisor or faculty member who can address the significance and quality of your work. The letter of recommendation may explain why the paper is significant to LGBT scholarship.

3) Private Foundations
There are many private foundations currently awarding students who identify as LGBTQ, students studying issues around LGBTQA identities and communities, and students who are undocumented.

Some applications will require students to complete the FAFSA.