PRISM FL, Inc.

About PRISM

Mission

PRISM is an LGBT non-profit organization centered in South Florida. We aim to provide LGBTQ+ youth in South Florida and beyond with the education and support they need to live a happy, healthy life. It’s our goal to make sure everyone feels included in their community, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Vision

We envision a community where youth not only understand how to maintain their physical and mental health but also take action to do so by seeking out testing, having deliberate conversations with sexual partners about protection and STI status, and utilizing community resources that they would not be aware of without PRISM.

History

PRISM began as an unofficial club at Boca Raton Community High School. We wanted to bring a new space onto our high school’s campus that was, unlike the school’s GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance), for education, sexual health resources, and so much more. However, we were denied permission to form countless times for a full year, oftentimes forced to meet off-campus. Pushed into a corner by school administration and with a global pandemic just starting to take hold of the very fabric of our lives, we turned to fulfill a vision that we had always deemed far-off: expanding beyond one school to impact LGBTQ+ youth across South Florida.

In the two years since, PRISM has exploded into a thriving, diverse, youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has already transformed the way that youth interact with LGBT resources. And, with the start of the PRISM Student Ambassador Program, we came full circle: Boca Raton Community High School’s GSA became an inaugural member.

What does the name PRISM stand for?

Funnily enough, nothing. PRISM is named after the glass and acrylic shapes that split white light into a spectrum of colors. The all-caps name is a stylistic choice, but feel free to come up with your own acronyms for PRISM if you'd like!

Our Work

Empowering youth is at the core of everything that we do. We provide our community with:

1. Educational resources on sexual health, LGBT+ history, BIPOC issues, and more

2. Information on free and low-cost STI testing resources through our STI Clinic Search

3. P-SAP (PRISM Student Ambassador Program), a network of resources and support for high school and college student leaders on the frontlines of LGBT+ advocacy

4. A safe space and welcoming community through our very own Discord server

Why It Matters

Comprehensive sex education saves lives. 

According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.6% of high school students in Florida have had sexual intercourse, and 25.9% were currently sexually active. However, 41.5% of those students reported not having used a condom during their last sexual encounter, and 86.7% have never been tested for HIV. The results of this are clear: it is estimated that youth aged 15-24 accounted for half of all new STI infections in the United States in 2018. Worse still, approximately 36.5 new HIV diagnoses were reported for every 100,000 youth aged 13-24 across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade County in 2018, according to AIDSVu. This is 1.6 times the national rate and almost 1.5 times the state average for this same age group.  

LGBT-inclusive education is under attack. 

LGBT-inclusive education was already a patchwork system in the state of Florida. With legislation like HB1557, more commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, making LGBT-inclusive education even harder to access, the need for resources that are easily accessible both outside of and within an academic setting is only increasing as young people consume more information through digital media. 

Fundraising

What do my donations/store purchases go towards?  

PRISM FL, Inc. is organized solely for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Basically, that means that 100% of the money PRISM receives is allocated towards our goal of helping LGBT youth.

What does "helping LGBT youth" include? 

These are a few of the expenses that PRISM covers through its funding: 

1. Educational resources

2. Staff wages

3. Videography equipment

4. Event fees

5. Software fees

6. Filing fees and administrative costs

7. Product materials and office supplies

8. Outreach and advertising

9. Keeping www.prismfl.org up and running!

How can I contribute to PRISM? 

Glad you asked! You can help PRISM and its mission to help LGBT youth by donating, purchasing from our online store, volunteering, or sharing with friends and family!