Rainbow Labs' mentor programs are year-round programs operating in Los Angeles County with an additional monthly virtual session open to any Queer Youth across the country. We encourage you to sign up for our general interest form as we send regular communication updates about our upcoming programs through social media, e-blast, and our website. Those who sign up on this list are the first to know about our exciting programs. All of our programming is free.
The types of programs Rainbow Labs Offers include:
Youth Council- A group of 10-11 youth, from the LGBTQIA+ community, who convene to build community, learn leadership and problem-solving skills, learn about queer history, and advise Rainbow Labs staff and board members on recruitment and program strategy. This program runs from October to June of each year. Storytelling Lab- Youth will learn the art and power of storytelling alongside mentors in a group with their Queer peers.
Youth will be guided through identity
and self-exploration workshops ending with real-world applications to their
stories and a storytelling slam where they can showcase their story. This lab can last between 4-8 weeks in length.
Accelerator Lab- Youth will be trained in business development, leadership, team building and exposed to LGBTQ+ professionals from all kinds of companies (Disney, American Airlines, Chase Bank, Nickelodeon, etc.) We have all our youth form teams to create the next bold business idea. Each group also gets a team of mentors to guide them through the process and provide support along the way. LGBTQ+ professionals provide feedback on their business
ideas and attend our Demo Day which is where the teams pitch their ideas. This lab can last between 4-8 weeks in length.
Sports Lab- Youth sports can be a scary place for queer youth. This lab is a place for queer youth to explore sports in a safe and fun environment. We partner with Los Angeles based LGBTQ+ adult sports teams to help facilitate all of our programs and show that these folks found community through sport. No prior sports experience is needed, just the willingness to try! This lab is currently offered in one-day clinics and through a Youth Softball Team every summer with the Los Angeles Dodgers from June to August.
One Bold Summer - Each summer, we combine our Storytelling Lab and Accelerator Lab for a summer long program. This allows youth to explore their own story (the story of me) and then explore a story with a team (the story of we.) Youth are in groups with a set of mentors throughout the whole summer. We offer three free summer events throughout the program.
Youth Community Meetings (Virtual) - We offer free virtual queer youth meet ups every month on Wednesday. Each month we offer different learning and social activities for youth such as queer history to queer crafting activities. This is a year-round program.
Deadline to apply: This is a general interest form. There is no deadline to apply.
