2025 Youth Workshops
Here are a list of workshops that will be offered at Models of Pride 2025.
Workshops Session 1 – 11:50 AM-12:35 PM
Workshop |
Description |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| Beyond the Pages: A Q&A with Nico Lang, Author of “American Teenager” Moderated by Zeke Smith | Author Nico Lang joins us for a conversation about their latest book, American Teenager. This powerful work sheds light on the lives, challenges, and resilience of trans youth navigating identity, politics, and community in today’s America. The session will include an open discussion and audience Q&A. This workshop is open to all youth, parents and professionals. | Seniors Center Dining Room |
| Consent! But Make It Cute | This interactive session gives queer teens fun, practical tools for navigating communication and consent. Through games and discussions, participants will learn how to express boundaries, respect others, and recognize the 6 principles of healthy sexuality. | The Village
Room 137 |
| Panel: Working In while Out in Entertainment |
NBCUniversal panelists share their personal experiences as queer professionals in the Entertainment industry. Candid conversations about coming out, career advice, queer heroes, supportive work environments, and overcoming challenges. | The Village
Room 209 (Upstairs) |
| The Art of Drag | Drag Arts Lab presents DRAG 101. Learn the basics of drag including history, basic make-up techniques, mixing tracks, and an introduction to ballroom choreography. Participants can expect to walk away with a foundation for building their own unique drag performance and persona. | The Village
Davidson/Valentini Theater |
| A BMO Guide to Savings, Banking & Growing Your Coin | An engaging session that will show you how to save smart and bank better. We will break down money moves that’ll help you stack your cash, take charge of your finances, and watch your coin grow! Plus, you’ll be in the running for a $100 gift card! Don’t miss out! | The Village
Room 139 |
| The Health & Well-being of TGI+ youth in Challenging Times: A Panel Moderated by Alex Cohen with Terra Russel-Slavin, Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, and Dannie Ceseña, MPH | A moderated panel discussion addressing the needs and issues facing Trans/Gender Expansive/LGB youth in this current political climate. Panel will include parents and professionals in Health Care, Education, Policy and Legal Services. Moderated by journalist, NPR personality and Spectrum News Anchor, Alex Cohen. This workshop is open to all youth, parents and professionals. | The Village
Renberg Theater |
| The Freedom of Being Seen | A reflective space to talk about the power of visibility, self-acceptance, and recognition. Youth will paint or decorate masks—one side showing how they feel hidden, and the other representing their authentic selves. | The Village Computer Lab |
| Plan(t) Your Mental Health | Create with us a plan(t) for bettering your mental health by exploring the intersection of mental health and wellness with the love of growing plants at home. This hands-on workshop will provide a plant for you and discuss ways how caring for plants can improve your cognitive function, introduce you to beneficial microbes in soil, and speed up recovery from mental fatigue. Plants help us to be more mindful and reconnect with nature indoors. | The Village Gallery |
Workshops Session 2 – 1:45-2:30 PM
Workshop |
Description |
Location |
|---|---|---|
| Representation through Creation: Building Inclusive Game Characters with AWS Generative AI Tools | In this interactive session, attendees will learn how to use Amazon Web Services (AWS) generative AI tools to bring unique and inclusive characters to life — from appearance and personality to backstory and world. You’ll collaborate in real time to co-create a diverse cast of heroes that will reflect your individuality and imagination. |
The Village
Room 209 (Upstairs) |
| Your Right to be You at School | Federal attacks on inclusive curriculum, LGBTQ-affirming school policies, and trans students’ very existence have been raining down furiously. How strong is California’s umbrella? We’ll talk about where things currently officially stand amid court cases like Mahmoud and BPJ, what students (and educators) are experiencing on the ground, and what supportive adults can do to help resist the escalating incursions on CA’s longstanding policies and practices of inclusion. This workshop is open to all youth, parents and professionals. | The Village
Davidson/Valentini Theater |
| Exploring Diverse Sexuality (18+) | This isn’t your standard sexual health workshop. Instead of just covering “dos and don’ts,” we’ll dive into the rich diversity of queer sexuality, from communication and consent to exploring power, pleasure, and kink. Participants will get an intro to diverse sexuality and practice skills for building safe, affirming, and pleasure-centered relationships. | The Village
Room 137 |
| Gender-Affirming Voice Training Basics | Interested in learning the fundamentals of voice training? Come learn from a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist (SLP) and an SLP in training all about the basics of changing how you create your voice. We will go over exercises and techniques for raising/lowering pitch, altering resonance/tone, and more. This is perfect for those curious about voice training, people just beginning their voice training journey, and those with some experience that want other tips and tricks. | The Village
Room 139 |
| Drag Story Time | Drag Story Time is just what it sounds like! Drag performers reading to kids in libraries, bookstores and other community centers. Drag Story Time gives kids and adults the like to engage with the art of drag in a program geared to them, and to explore the joys of storytelling, self expression and reading. | The Village Computer Lab |
| Inner Radiance: Spiritual Empowerment through Meditation | Allow yourself to be guided on an inner journey of divine connection and personal empowerment. A journey of rediscovering your own inner spark, and fanning the flames of your Spirit – anchoring yourself within the inner central sun of your own soul. Relax – Remember – Reclaim. | The Village Renberg Theater |
| Learning to Navigate & Market Yourself on Social Media with Content Creator, Victor Ramos @vicmram | Led by Victor Ramos, the creator behind @vicmram on Instagram and TikTok, this workshop will guide you in creating and navigating your brand in the current climate of social media with tips and tricks for multi-platform success! You will also learn how to manage the pressures and challenges of being a content creator and maintaining a balanced level of mental health. | The Village Gallery |
| 3:15-4pm
From Ideas to Impact: Organizing for Resistance 101 |
Movements don’t just happen—they’re built by people like us. In this energizing workshop, we’ll learn what it takes to turn ideas into real action, drawing wisdom from organizers on the frontlines in Florida who are resisting and thriving in one of the toughest political climates in the country. We’ll also uplift the work of local teams in Los Angeles who are fighting for justice and building affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth. Through stories, skill-shares, and hands-on activities, we’ll explore how to transform frustration into strategy, and how to channel passion into collective power. Come ready to connect, imagine boldly, and leave with tools to spark change where you are. Together, we’ll remind each other that resistance is not just possible—it’s unstoppable. | The Campus
Senior Center Dining Room |
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