The Campus Pride crew is in the Charm City this weekend for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change conference, the largest gathering of LGBT and progressive activists across the country. Baltimore has welcomed us with open arms and we're each excited to be meeting and engaging with so many friends, new and old.

We had a phenomenal day at Campus Pride's day-long pre-conference for LGBT college and university students yesterday, our Queer It Up Youth Leadership Action Institute. MOre than 40 student leaders joined us for a full day of networking, learning, brainstorming and fun.

(Photo right: Students in a small group discuss one of the major challenges facing their campuses.)

As we've done at past Creating Change events, we spent a good chunk of our afternoon discussing the greatest challenges student leaders find themselves facing on their campuses and within their LGBT student organizations. Breaking our students up into five groups, we tackled five major discussion topics that encompass their own set of challenges and opportunities unique to each campus. The students -- representing everything from small, rural schools to large and well-known state schools -- came up with some interesting solutions, tips and tricks.

Here are some of the highlights on three of the topics: program collaboration with campus allies and partners, trans inclusion in student groups and on campus and group cohesion and internal issues. Join us back here later today at the Campus Pride Blog for a longer post on the last two: dealing with conservative and religious groups on campus and finding campus resources for fundraising and programming.

Continue reading after the jump...

Program collaboration with campus allies and partners

Whether it was the potential to partner with other progressive allies or find new coalition members among student leaders in greek life or athletics, students said their largest challenge is trying to increase involvement and awareness, especially on already-welcoming campuses.

Effectively communicating the reasons why involvement is still needed is crucial, students said. But, it can't always be work, work, work. Students said it is important to remember to have fun, though doing it with a purpose. "Don't just teach people, engage and entertain people," one student said.

Trans inclusion: Gender-neutral housing and bathrooms

Above all, this was one of the students' greatest challenges and interests. Ensuring safety and inclusion of all LGB and T students is important for unity and community, they said, especially considering the rate at which transgender students are left out in campus programming and resources.

In particular, students were most considered about gender-neutral housing and bathroom facilities.

Regarding implementation of trans-inclusive policies and practices, students from campuses that have already started to initiate some programming said it was important to do your research and review the practices and experiences of other schools. How where their programs started? How would you incorporate those ideas or specific policies into your school and on your campus? What kind of administrative support did the other schools have and how much would you have on your campus? How much support exists among residence life staffers.

"Be willing to work with the right people to make sure it gets passed," one student said. "Make sure you're talking about this being a matter of safety for these students. Safety, inclusion and diversity are the key words."

Students on campuses that haven't begun constructive conversations on gender or gender identity and expression can begin by partnering with the right faculty, staff and campus or community trans leaders to present a "Trans 101" series of workshops. Such events help to introduce a wide variety of students to transgender people and the issues that are important to them.

One student also had a unique suggestion for campuses that already have some awareness but need a kickstart in mobilizing a campaign for inclusion. The student said a "cross-dressing flash mob" where students band together in a show of solidarity with their fellow transgender students could help to begin the public conversation that needs to take place before beginning or implementing safer, more inclusive campus policies and practices.

Group cohesion, focus and internal issues

Invariably, this is a topic we hear often at Campus Pride leadership camps and workshops. Student leaders constantly face challenges either motivating or mobilizing their own campus groups due to internal divisions based on privilege, prejudice, politics or for any host of other reasons.

Most important, students said, was leadership by example. Student leaders on a campus group's executive or organizing board should being by "setting the tone from the top. Reaching out to new members whose identity might not necessarily match your own is a great way to start. Following the "step up, step back" rule is important for student leaders, too. Club presidents or vice presidents don't always have to lead facilitate meetings. Sitting in as a regular member, audience member or participant, and letting another member take the reins during meetings, goes a long way in building trust and camaraderie.

Setting and abiding by specific groundrules on respect and inclusion is also important. It sounds like a simple enough idea, students said, but it works and can set the tone for greater group unity and understanding.