Born This Way Foundation

?? Join us in celebrating our co-founder Lady Gaga's birthday by earning your #BeThereCertificate! It takes less than 2 hours to learn how to show up for your friends' mental health — and it means the world! ?????? https://lnkd.in/eHjMdZQa

Celebrate our co-founder Lady Gaga’s birthday with us by practicing intentional kindness for yourself and your community! ???? Pledge to #BeKind365 today! ? https://lnkd.in/eYY7SYcR

Join us for our next?#ChannelKindness?Storytellers Club session happening TONIGHT, March 27th at 7pm ET! This month’s theme is all about FINDING SELF-LOVE. ?? We’ll explore how to build a stronger connection with ourselves through journaling prompts and reflection. Plus, we’re so excited to have?Emily Flores, Founder + Editor of?Cripple Media, joining us as our co-host! RSVP for free at https://lnkd.in/eGmcu_g6. We can’t wait to see you there! About Channel Kindness Storytellers Club: The Channel Kindness Storytellers Club is a free writing workshop designed to give young people the tools to tell their stories and feel more confident expressing themselves through writing. By the end of the workshop, we hope participants leave feeling inspired to keep writing and take time to reflect and process life creatively. Participants can also submit their work to Channel Kindness after the workshop and earn a $50 appreciation payment.

This high school sophomore takes book clubs one step further with?Read to Respond,?where students don't just read books, they take action and respond to issues the book addresses. "Reading furthered my passion for community service, showing me the bigger picture of my impact." https://lnkd.in/gSEMynVw #ChannelKindness #BeKind365

"Our lives are like books, each day a new page, each moment an inked memory. So let's write our chapters with kindness, gratitude, and love, creating a masterpiece of a life well-lived." - Abhinav Anne Research states that more than 40 percent of young adults are lonely. In this digital age, it can feel challenging to find connection and fulfillment. This teen Abhinav Anne shares the 5 steps he takes to do so: https://lnkd.in/eA8u8m7u #ChannelKindness #BeKind365

Yesterday, my incredible University of New Haven students took center stage as one of the presenters at an event hosted by Born This Way Foundation—yes, the foundation co-founded by Cynthia Germanotta and Lady Gaga! They shared our team’s latest research findings. Great seeing their hard work, dedication, and passion for advocacy on full display. Thank you, Born This Way Foundation, Dr. Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes, EdD, LPC, and the wonderful BTWF crew for the opportunity! #proudmoment #proudprofessor

Born This Way Foundation, in collaboration with?Hopelab, hosted an event at?Bard High School Early College?to share our latest research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people in online spaces and inspire action to build safer, more supportive digital communities. ?????????????? We discussed the research, shared stories, and most of all, built safe, meaningful connection in community with each other. As platform policies and legislation continue to evolve, we were grateful to host a space where young people and trusted adults could safely be themselves, share insights, and build action plans to support LGBTQ+ youth mental health online and in person. Learn more about our report, “Without It, I Wouldn’t Be Here Today”: LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experiences in Online Spaces, which dives into how they connect, explore their identities, and find support through online friendships and communities, on our website: https://lnkd.in/e4vwU5YR ??: (Images courtesy of Danny Santana Photography) Image Descriptions: Photos of from Born This Way Foundation + Hopelab’s event at Bard High School Early College Queens where we convened young people, nonprofit professionals, decision-makers, and investors to turn our latest report “Without It, I Wouldn’t Be Here Today”: LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experiences in Online Spaces,” into tangible action.

?? NBC News Now Alert: Born This Way Foundation x Hopelab Study ?? On Wednesday, I had the incredible opportunity to join NBCUniversal to discuss our Born This Way Foundation X Hopelab research report with Hopelab Ambassador + Gen Z Mental Health Advocate Jorge Alvarez. ?? Watch the full 5-minute segment here: https://lnkd.in/eXhJbkVW This research is a testament to the power of collaboration. Over the past year, so many dedicated + brilliant minds came together to ensure LGBTQ+ young people's experiences in digital spaces are heard, understood, and protected. And, our teams at Born This Way Foundation + Hopelab remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ young ppl feel heard, understood, and protected today. ?? ?? ?? to the incredible individuals and teams behind this work: ?? BTWF Research: Francesca Giannattasio + Mia Shaw ?? BTWF Communications: Mitu Y., Shadille Estepan, and Joshua Hollin ?? Hopelab Research: Amy Green, Mike Parent, PhD MBA, Emma Bruehlman-Senecal, PhD, and Jayla Stokesberry ?? Hopelab Research Partner: Myeshia N. Price ?? Hopelab Design and Production: Stacy Nguyen ??? Hopelab Communications: Juan Martinez, Robin Russell Raskob, Phuong Pham, and Jaweer Brown From my heart to all of yours—thank you. ??

"It's essential to recognize that online relationships, especially in LGBTQ+ communities, are deeply meaningful... We didn’t just collect data from young people — we involved them in shaping how we would collect it. This ensured that the language and questions were relevant and accurately reflected their experiences." - Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes, EdD, LPC, Vice President of Research and Evaluation at Born This Way Foundation, for The Advocate. Read our new report with Hopelab, "Without It, I Wouldn't Be Here Today": LGBTQ+ Young People's Experiences in Online Spaces," here: https://lnkd.in/ghcaFkrk

???????????? New Research Alert! ???????????? Online spaces are essential for LGBTQ+ young people—providing connection, affirmation, and support when they need it most. Our latest report, “‘Without It, I Wouldn’t Be Here Today”: LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experiences in Online Spaces,” created in partnership with?Hopelab, highlights the powerful role digital communities play and what we can do to make them safer. ?? 44% of LGBTQ+ young people feel very safe expressing their identities online vs. just 9% in person. ?? 80% of trans & nonbinary young people are more likely to disclose their gender identity online. ?? Supportive friendships—both online and IRL—are essential for LGBTQ+ youth mental health. One young person shared, “Without it, I wouldn’t be here today.” ?? Read the full report and join us in building a kinder, safer digital world. ??? LINK: https://lnkd.in/ghcaFkrk?#ChannelKindness?#BeKind365 Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes, EdD, LPC Francesca Giannattasio