Student Awarded for Service

Woodside Elementary 8th grader Mia Garcia organization that seeks to create a safe and is the 2018 winner of the Juan Barajas Youth Leadership Award. The award, meant to recognize leadership, has been given to various youth throughout the past 11 years in honor of the foundational work Juan Barajas accomplished with Outlet.

Mia’s recent award recognizes LGBTQ+ youth who have made outstanding achievements not only in their activism supporting the community, but also in their own personal growth.

Outlet is youth-centered, respecting all individuals and honoring their differences. Outlet program staff provide a safe environment that is confidential, inclusive, and non-judgmental. Striving for social justice and engaging youth in achieving freedom, fairness, and equality for all are the core elements of the program. Outlet services support the emotional, physical, and social development of youth as whole individuals.

It was at Outlet that Mia describes that she “found her voice” and realized how she could both become a better person and find meaningful ways to give back to the community.

It was a place “where I was not being judged and felt safe and included.” From this, she developed the goal of helping others to find “a happy place”in a safe and supportive environment.

Mia’s vision has led to the involvement of several faculty members at Woodside Elementary in developing just such a “safe place” to be available for all the students at the school.