Meghana Menon, PHIMC Director of Adolescent and School Health, spoke on March 5, 2023 with Scott Duff and Ellen Miller on their radio show, Out Chicago, which airs weekly on WCPT, 820 AM.

They discussed the work of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, mental health and the impact of stigma, the role of school boards, rising rates of harassment, assault, and discrimination, and work that gives young people agency. They packed a lot into their 15 minutes together.

“We have a partnership with the Hollister Confidence Fund,” Meghana said. “It’s our third year working with them, which we’re really grateful and fortunate for, and this project is really to promote mental health and well-being among young folks with our focus being on… LGBTQ+ young people… We are really excited to… ensure that all of our programmatic work is rooted in the experiences of queer young people across the state, and increase opportunities for them to imagine ways of creating space and affirming environments for themselves.”

“It’s such an empowering moment when they [young people] can all get together, have that sense of community, find those people like – ‘oh, I am not alone, I’m not the only person that feels this way’,” Scott reflected. “It’s so powerful for the people who are involved in that, the youth leaders, but I also feel that the impact of the initiative is stronger to their peers because it is created by their peers.”

Thank you to Out Chicago, Meghana, and the young people who are creating a more affirming world for us all.

Click below to hear the full interview, just past minute marker 1:03
Out Chicago with Scott Duff and Ellen Miller, March 5, 2023

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Illinois Safe Schools Alliance made PHIMC its home in 2019.

Learn more here about how Illinois Safe Schools Alliance collaborates with and supports LGBTQ+ youth.