Building a Movement for Michigan (BAMM) Pride: An LGBTQIA+ Youth Summit
Friday, May 5, 2023

Registration information will be made available in late 2022 or early 2023.

Example BAMM Pride Summit agenda:​​
  • 9-9:30am: Breakfast and in-person arrival
  • 9:30-10:15am: Welcome and community building
  • 10:25-11:25am: Breakout session 1
  • 11:25am-1:05pm: Lunch and activities
  • 1:05-1:50pm: Keynote activity
  • 2-3pm: Breakout session 2
  • 3-3:30pm: Closing
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We are excited to announce our plans for the 9th annual BAMM Pride Summit, hosted by MOASH and GVSU! For full info about the summit, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section below.

About the summit: 2023's BAMM Pride Summit will be held on Friday, May 5, 2023, with plans for both in-person and virtual participation options. In-person activities will take place at Grand Valley State University. While the BAMM Pride Summit has typically been held in March, we hope the new May date will provide safer weather and travel conditions for those traveling across the state. The summit is for LGBTQIA+ middle and high school youth to spend a day learning, connecting, and building community! Adults and GSA advisors who are bringing youth to the summit are also welcome to attend - consider making the BAMM Pride Summit a field trip for your GSA!

Frequently Asked Questions about the BAMM Pride Summit:

how are you handling covid-19 health and safety for IN-person participation?
We will continue to monitor developments regarding COVID-19 and its variant. At this time, we are planning for an in-person conference and will determine final safety measures to reduce participants' risk of COVID infection and transmission closer to the date of the summit. We will continue to follow the advice of health experts and will be prepared to maintain strict participation criteria and/or transition to a virtual event if necessary.

The following safety measures were taken during the 2022 summit:
  • ALL summit participants, staff, and volunteers were asked to provide proof of a negative COVID test taken within 1-3 days before the event (e.g. photo on phone of a dated negative rapid test, printed results of negative PCR test, etc.).  MOASH provided COVID test kits in advance for any registrants who had difficulty accessing COVID testing otherwise.
  • ALL summit participants, staff, and volunteers were required to wear masks while on GVSU's campus, except while eating and/or drinking. N95 masks were provided for all participants.
  • ALL summit participants, staff, and volunteers were required to wear masks on the authorized buses traveling to and from GVSU's campus.
  • ALL participants were required to complete GVSU's visitor health assessment BEFORE arriving at the summit.
IS THERE ANY COST for summit attendance?
The summit is completely free for all attendees! Additionally, we will provide free breakfast and lunch to all participants joining us in-person.  MOASH and GVSU also cover the cost of some buses, and will attempt to provide any additional material as needed to attend, such as N95 masks.
Want to help us keep the BAMM Pride Summit free for youth every year?  Make a donation here!
what are transportation options to and from the summit?
MOASH and GVSU have historically and plan to provided free bus transportation for groups that need it in the following areas: 1) Flint/Clinton Township, 2) Detroit/Garden City, and 3) Dewitt/Lansing.  Seats on these buses are first come, first served through our registration form. Ultimately, registrants are responsible for coordinating their own transportation to and from their event (through school buses, personal transportation, etc.). If you'd like support arranging transportation, reach out to event organizers at: info@moash.org.
WHAT DIFFERENT BREAKOUT OPTIONS DO YOU OFFER?
Break out sessions for the 2023 BAMM Pride Summit have not been finalized, but we plan to offer both in-person and virtual sessions. Breakout sessions cover a variety of topics dependent on the availability of speakers and the proposals the planning committee receives. We plan to open a call for breakout session proposals in fall 2022. Breakout sessions may be designed for a youth only audience, adult only audience, or a mixed audience.

You can read about the sessions that were offered in 2022 in this online document: ​bit.ly/BAMMsessions2022.

The history of the summit and the BAMM GSAs Program:

School Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs can be a haven of safety and support for LGBTQ+ young people and their allies.  In 2014, MOASH was awarded a 3-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) to build the capacity of GSA clubs in schools across Michigan.  MOASH conducted assessments of GSA functioning, developed a model program for GSA organizational development, provided in-person and technical assistance, and created an annual statewide summit for LGBTQIA+ youth.  While the grant term has ended, MOASH continues to host the annual summit with the generous sponsorship of Grand Valley State University, and provides assistance to GSA clubs and adult allies of LGBTQ+ students where possible.