Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather offers tutoring and academic support for LGBTQ+ and gender expansive elementary, middle, and high school students in a welcoming and affirming space. 

In 2023, Birds of a Feather offered 250 individualized tutoring sessions to LGBTQ+ youth in Santa Cruz County! Please help Birds of a Feather do it again in 2024!

Of the 250 sessions offered in 2023, 80% were supplemented by grant funds and donations. 

Your donation goes towards creating a robust scholarship fund to make tutoring more accessible to LGBTQ+ youth in Santa Cruz. 

With your donation  Birds of a Feather will continue to:

• provide attuned academic support to LGBTQ+ students from diverse backgrounds 
• collaborate with teachers to provide meaningful, real-time support for their LGBTQ+ students
• offer an LGBTQ+ affirming tutoring option for parents of LGBTQ+ youth
• be visible in the community as a queer tutor actively supporting queer youth

Research indicates that LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to experience bullying than their peers, and less than half of this student population reports feeling safe at school. A lack of support and an overall sense of safety can make it difficult for these students to thrive academically. Birds of a Feather addresses the need for academic support in a safe and encouraging environment. 

As a certified teacher and member of the queer community, I feel uniquely qualified to work with these students. I'm dedicated to creating a supportive space where LGBTQ+ students can discover who they are, what lights them up, and what they can contribute to the world.  I aim to create a safe academic space where youth can be completely themselves!

After working with Birds of a Feather, students reported improvements in their:

• engagement in class
• homework completion
• willingness to try new strategies
• willingness to ask for help 

 Parents reported that their children were demonstrating: 

• increased agency
• increased self-concept
• increased self-acceptance
• decreased anxiety 
• increased confidence
• increased assignment completion  

Parents also noted: 

"[My child] has more confidence and ability to approach problems creatively."

"[My child] feels much more secure working with a queer tutor."

"[My child] feels met where he is in a genuine way that he trusts."

"[My child] loves having a queer tutor."

Let's build a robust scholarship program to supplement the cost of individual tutoring sessions for next year's cohort of Birds of a Feather tutees.

Birds of a Feather can win extra prize money for having the greatest number of unique donors who contribute $10 or more. Please spread the word to family and friends who may feel moved to support LGBTQ+ youth. A little bit from a lot of folks goes farther!