Our Executive Director, Erin Upchurch, is one of Columbus Alive's 2018 People to Watch! Check out their full story!

Join us on Friday, Aug 10 from 4-7pm as we gear up for back-to-school with our annual Bar-B-Queer Community Event, FREE and open to the whole family! We'll have food and drinks available and the opportunity to pick up free school supplies including: backpacks, notebooks, folders, pens/pencils, and so much more. Plus, meet some of our community partners and learn about resources available to you that you can utilize throughout the school year! Note: There will be no additional Friday programming on Aug. 10th. Folks interested in donating school supplies please visit --> http://www.kycohio.org/wishlist

We're pretty excited to announce that we're putting together a small voter guide for youth and their families for the 2018 midterm elections. We think it's important to ask all Ohio candidates questions that are important to YOU and impact LGBTQ+ youth and our community. If you have a question you'd like answered by a candidate (all Ohio candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will be asked the same questions), you can either fill out this short google form (you can remain anonymous!) or send anons here!

And stay tuned for our voter guide dropping at the end of September!

Youth! Join us for our 2nd annual summer bike program! We're partnering with Yay Bikes! and Franklinton Cycle Works for a 2 week program that will teach you bike mechanics, safety, and rules of the road. The best part is you'll get a free BRAND NEW bike at the end of the program!

This is a 2 week commitment, Mon-Fri, 1pm-3pm. We only have 10 spots available on a first come/first serve basis. Sign-ups in our Center or you can email [email protected].

(Thanks to Hot Chicken Takeover, as proceeds from their limited-edition Pride shirts go towards the bike program! Learn about last year's inaugural program, courtesy of 10TV - WBNS: https://www.10tv.com/…/spicy-t-shirt-sale-means-new-bikes-k…)

YOUTH! Join us THIS FRIDAY June 22 5:30-7pm for our 2nd annual Rainbow Gayduation Party! This is for anyone ages 12-20 who has or is graduating from middle school, high school, college, or a tech program! If you wish to "gay"duate please email [email protected] so we have an accurate count!

We're hiring for a Center Program Manager!

This position holds primary responsibility for Youth Center programming, including developing and implementing positive youth development programs that are responsive to youth need and interest, managing daily activities of the Youth Center, supervising staff, volunteers, and interns working with youth in the Center, development of program policies and procedures, and ensuring that youth receive sound support and advocacy.

Check out this link - http://www.kycohio.org/employment.html - for full details, qualifications, and responsibilities. To join the KYC family, send cover letter and resume to [email protected]!

Want to Volunteer for KYC’s Pride Celebration?! Sign-up for spots now including, registration, food/beverage station, games, and more!

Eat at Dirty Frank’s every Monday in June where 10% of all din-in sales will support KYC!

Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) is excited to announce that we will be hosting a FREE “Pride Month Open House and Celebration” on Saturday, June 9th, from 2-6pm, open to all youth and the community!

From 2-4pm, the Center will be open to offer the community the opportunity to tour our space and meet our new Executive Director, Erin Upchurch! Meanwhile, we are inviting youth and their families to join us for a variety of activities including games, tie-dyeing, a photo booth, pride history walk, and a dunking booth, where you may get a chance to dunk a staff member or two! Food and drinks will also be provided.

Raffle tickets will be available for community members for a chance to be the lucky person to dunk our new ED (and maybe even some unsuspecting board members!)

The next several months will be a time for KYC to focus on the safety and needs of our youth during our organization’s transitional period, and yet engage with our community as we celebrate and honor our LGBTQ+ heritage. While KYC won’t have an official presence at Columbus Pride 2018, we are excited about the opportunity to support our youth and their families at our Pride Open House and Celebration. Any youth that has traditionally marched with us and is interested in doing so again this year, will be connected to Columbus City School’s where they can safely march with them!

Our #LGBTQ+ inclusive #jobfair is coming up in about a week on Saturday, May 19th! If you're between 16-20, make plans now to join us for job opportunities, app assistance, mock interviews, workshops and more! Plus, free food from @alohastreatery!

Less than a month to go! Get your tickets now and join us for a fun-run event on Saturday, June 2nd you don't want to miss, as The Columbus Neon Rainbow Run takes over Town St. with a 5K glow race benefiting the youth of KYC!

Youth! We're making plans for the summer and we want YOU to be part of it! Join us TOMORROW - Tuesday, May 1st - for our monthly House Meeting starting at 6pm as we discuss what types of programming you'd like to see, what summer hours we should have, and your chance to learn about some exciting upcoming events before anyone else! Plus, we have some fun surprises waiting for you! Don't miss it!

Whether a student or an educator, there are a variety of ways that you can participate in @GLSEN's #dayofsilence this Friday, to highlight the silencing and erasure of LGBTQ people in school!

Get ready! Other Prom 2018 is happening Saturday, May 26th, from 8pm - 11pm, at the Mershon Auditorium! Co-presented with the Wexner Center for the Arts and sponsored by Equitas Health, this year's theme is "Glow"! So dress up, wear a "glow" themed costume, or come dressed casually! There will be plenty of free food, beverages, professional photography, and a DJ to help you dance the evening away!

This is a FREE event for ages 12-20, but ID will be required at the door. Contact [email protected] with questions or for more details!

Hey youth! Saturday, May 19th, we're holding our first ever LGBTQ+ inclusive job fair! We'll have employers available who are currently hiring, plus workshops, mock interviews, job app assistance, community resources, and so much more! Plus, food from Aloha Streatery! Special thanks to our sponsor Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio for their support of the Job Fair!

Note: We are still looking to fill a couple more spots for LGBTQ+ inclusive businesses that are hiring for ages 16+. If you are, or know of someone who is, please email [email protected]!

If you're a youth interested in participating in a mock interview, please sign-up at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/yd46yppp

Hey youth! THIS Friday, April 13th, we're taking a field trip to see Love, Simon in the theater - thanks to a very generous donor! We will need a permission slip for this trip, so please talk to Kristen if you're interested in attending!

Note: There will be no regularly scheduled program hours on Friday!