Youth Outreach
In Youth outreach, we are working on numerous projects and events that are continuously evolving. Check back often to stay up to date.
Made By Queer Youth:
A Zine Project
Project Overview
Made By Queer Youth is a youth-led storytelling and art project that aims to empower LGBTQIA+ middle and high school students on Vashon Island to share their personal narratives and lived experiences. The project centers Queer voices by encouraging participants to explore what it means to be a queer young person through storytelling, poetry, and visual art, with a strong focus on themes such as queer joy, mental health, identity, and authentic representation.
In April and May 2025, students from McMurray Middle School’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and ORBIT Youth Space’s Q Club worked weekly on the creation of a zine (a self-published magazine.) These sessions were facilitated by Glory Busic from Vashon Youth & Family Services along with ORBIT Youth Space staff and Vashon DOVE Project staff as relevant. During the sessions, youth also learned about the rich history and cultural significance of zine-making as a tool of queer expression and resistance.
The final zine was distributed during the 2025 Vashon Pride Street Dance and is available for public access at the Vashon Public Library and the McMurray Middle School Library, ensuring ongoing visibility and celebration of queer youth voices within the community.
Project Goals
Provide a safe space for queer youth to share their personal experiences and creative expression.
Highlight the beauty, strength, and complexity of Queer identity.
Encourage open conversations around mental health and emotional well-being within queer youth communities.
Cultivate a sense of shared responsibility, support, and community care among LGBTQIA+ youth and allies.
Introduce youth to the history and power of zine-making as a form of Queer resistance, storytelling, and cultural expression.
Amplify queer youth voices in public and educational spaces, ensuring authentic representation across the wider Vashon Island community.
