FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 18, 2009

PRESS INQUIRIES:
Campus Pride
704-277-6710 or info@campuspride.org

Campus Pride Announces New Locations & Dates for Gay-Friendly College Fairs this Fall 2009 & Spring 2010

Boston, Los Angeles & New York are targeted for larger fair attendance along with strategic partnerships with local youth organizations

Charlotte, NC, June 18, 2009 – Do you want to recruit out LGBT and ally students? Thanks to Campus Pride and local partners now your college can. Campus Pride announces dates for it’s third annual national college fair program this Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 specifically designed for out lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students to find LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. More information online at http://www.campusclimateindex.org/events

2009-10 Campus Pride
LGBT-Friendly College Fair Program Dates & Locations

New England Fair --- Wed, September 30, Boston, MA
East Coast Fair --- Friday, November 6, New York, NY
West Coast Prep Day & Fair --- Sat, February 27, Los Angeles, CA
_________________________________________________

Two college fairs will be held in Fall 2009 and then a day-long college fair and college prep day will be held in Spring 2010. The first national fair is in partnership with Friends of GLBT Youth, Inc. based in Boston, Massachusetts and will take place on Wednesday, September 30. The second fair will be on Friday, November 6 in partnership with Youth Enrichment Services of the LGBT Community Center in New York City. The last fair will be a day-long college prep conference and fair to support LGBT and ally youth and families in the college application process, financial aid, search, campus visits, scholarships, etc. This college prep event will be in partnership with the University of Southern California’s LGBT Resource Center.

According to Campus Pride ,this year’s national schedule reflects a commitment to grow attendance at the fair by partnering strategically with local LGBT and ally youth organizations as well as hosting in larger metropolitan “queer meccas” of LGBT activism – New York, Los Angles & Boston.

“Campus Pride is proud to announce our third year of LGBT-friendly college fairs and our new partners. Prospective students want to attend campuses that are a welcoming and safe place to learn, live and grow... finally there are annual fairs to help students find LGBT-friendly colleges,” stated Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride and author of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. “Our LGBT-friendly national college fair program showcases campuses who are LGBT-friendly and who want LGBT & ally students. It sends a clear message: “Gay students are welcome, even celebrated on this campus.’”

Free and open to the public, the fairs allow any student and their family the opportunity to interact with colleges and universities that value LGBT and ally people. Registration is $175 to $250 per fair for each institution and is open to any college or university across the United States. Each fair will also feature expert advice about LGBT-friendly colleges, scholarship resources and even effective tips for campus visits.

Campus Pride has developed the fairs as a public way for colleges to “come out” and recruit out LGBT students who are an important component to campus diversity. The fairs are also being held in coordination with the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index (www.campusclimateindex.org), the only online resource of its kind that assists colleges and universities in learning ways to improve their LGBT campus life and helps prospective students find a national index listing of LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.

“The LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index demonstrates how colleges are ‘coming out’ to provide programs and services for LGBT and ally students. The idea that LGBT student populations are a part of the campus recruitment and retention efforts is just another sign of the changing times,” stated Windmeyer.

To learn more details about the upcoming Campus Pride National College Fair Program or how to register you campus, please go online to http://www.campusclimateindex.org/events or contact Campus Pride at info@campuspride.org or 704-277-6710.

###

____________________________________________________
Believe In -- Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to give "voice and action" in building future LGBT and ally leaders. More info online at www.campuspride.org.