Outreach Steering Committee Spotlight

As we move through 2017, the Outreach Steering Committee is setting its sights on the upcoming annual conference. In anticipation of this wonderful networking event, the various committees I oversee as the Chair of Outreach are hard at work with implementing some new changes and increasing visibility of current initiatives.

Here is a snapshot of some of that work:

Development Committee: AASECT’s Creating Community Scholarship is entering its second year of implementation. This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to AASECT in a meaningful way and help new sexuality professionals access our annual conference. Please consider donating. You can check out the scholarship criteria at the following link: https://www.aasect.org/49th-annual-conference/scholarships

Mentoring Committee: One of the events you can anticipate seeing at this year’s conference is the annual Mentor/Mentee Meet & Greet. This will be a dedicated time for AASECT members to connect with mentors and mentees, as well as learn more about the program. Committee members are diligently working to revamp AASECT’s mentorship program, including increasing the availability of mentors and matching mentees to appropriate mentors in order to best meet their needs. If you’re interested in being involved, either as a mentor or mentee, please contact the Chair of Mentoring, Becky Anthony at RSANTHONY@salisbury.edu

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee: In an effort to address the current organizational challenges related to diversity and inclusion, I am in the process of developing a new committee, which will be member driven and seek to identify potential solutions for overcoming these challenges. We recently sent a call out to membership and received significant interest. As the committee comes together and continues to develop, I will be sure to keep you posted about developments and new initiatives.

If you’re interested in any of these areas or would like some additional information, please feel free to reach out.

I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!

Jayleen Galarza, PhD, LCSW, CST