Mission Statement

Supporting educators, families, and other stakeholders in creating and fostering a safe, respectful, diverse and positive learning and working environment in North Carolina's public schools.

History

Although Safe schools NC did not officially incorporate as a nonprofit organization until 2003, the work of Safe Schools NC began in 1997 when Melissa Weiss began working with LGBT youth as an intern with NC Lambda Youth Network (NCLYN).  Melissa created a program called the Rainbow Youth Coalition (RYC), which was a coalition of members of GLSEN Triangle, PFLAG Triangle, and NCLYN.  The members of the RYC presented student panels at a number of statewide education conferences and schools in the Triangle to educate others about the issues LGBT youth face in school.

After completing her internship in 1999, Melissa left NCLYN.  The RYC dissolved shortly thereafter, although Melissa and a number of LGBT youth continued doing student panel presentations at various educational conferences over the course of the next few years.
In the summer of 2002, Robin Allen, a PFLAG Triangle member and form RYC adult leader began working with Melissa to connect students in Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) across the Triangle.  The goal was to set up monthly meetings for students in GSAs to socialize, network, share resources, and express concerns.  Initially, students from four GSAs attended the meetings and formed the Triangle GSA Network (TGSAN).   The group continued to meet monthly and encouraged other GSAs in the Triangle to join.  By the summer of 2003, students from 11 GSAs were participating in TGSAN and PFLAG Triangle decided to financially and organizationally support the TGSAN. 

With the rapid growth of TGSAN and increasing requests for LGBT student panel presentations from schools, Melissa decided to create Safe Schools NC.  In October of 2003, Safe Schools NC received its official 501 (c)(3) status and the TGSAN became a program of Safe Schools NC instead of remaining under PFLAG Triangle. 

During the same period of time that Safe Schools NC was working on getting nonprofit status, a group of individuals from across the state were working to some degree on LGBT issues in education.  Most of these individuals represented local organizations who worked with LGBT youth.  This group called themselves Carolinians Allied for Safe Schools (CASS) and was a loose network that that met a few times a year to share resources, network, and assist each other with local advocacy efforts.  After several meetings, CASS began advocacy work at the state level and began writing letters to NC DPI about safe schools issues.  CASS eventually decided that the group needed more structure and nonprofit status in order to raise funds.  CASS members identified advocacy, training, youth and parent organizing, and research as the areas they wanted the organization to focus on.  =
At this same time, Safe Schools NC was working on GSA organizing and education/training.  Melissa began meeting with members of CASS and then proposed merging the two organizations.  During the 2004-2005 school year, CASS became part of Safe Schools NC which would now have a statewide focus and be a partnership of individuals and organizations dedicated to eliminating harassment, bullying, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in North Carolina schools.  Safe Schools NC would focus its work around four program areas: advocacy, research, training, and student organizing. 
At the end of 2006, Melissa decided to step down as the executive director of Safe Schools NC.  Although the board of directors tried to continue to run the organization, the loss of Melissa’s leadership and lack of employed staff resulted in a period of organizational stagnation. 

In the summer of 2009, Kathy Staley joined the board of directors and began working to restart Safe Schools NC.  Currently, the organization’s efforts are focused on rebuilding the board of directors; continuing projects related to advocacy, research, and education; and restructuring the programs and areas of focus of Safe Schools NC.