Education to Stop Transgender Injustice: Interview with Eli Erlick

This interview is part of the \"5 Minutes with a Teen Difference Maker\" Interview Series, which is hosted by After School in partnership with Peace First. \n\nIn high school, Erlick teamed up with fellow 15-year-old trans activist, Alex Sennello, to develop a platform for education on trans issues. “Trans Student Educational Resources is a national organization dedicated to transforming the education environment for trans and gender nonconforming students,” states Erlick. She adds, “We are the only national organization run by trans youth and also the only one focusing on trans students.” TSER provides several programs, including teaching young trans-activists how to be effective leaders in their community and hosting workshops for students, teachers, and others on trans issues.\nSimilar to Erlick, many trans youth are born into communities that do not understand how to support them. This, along with its role in activism, is where Erlick sees the tremendous importance in the organization. “It can be hard to be ‘out.’ I know that being a very openly transgender woman is something that causes me to face a lot of violence...this is part of why TSER has been so important to the trans youth movement,” says Erlick.\n\nFor the full interview write-up, visit the After School App Blog at AfterSchoolApp.com/blog. Here are quotes from our interview with Eli Erlick: \n\n“So many trans youth are rejected by their families and don’t have access to resources the need to community leadership platforms.”\n\n“The internet attracts trans people because it is one of the safest places for us to be.”\n\n“Social networks have really allowed trans youth the better ability to be ourselves and express who we are online especially if we can’t in person.“\n\n“It’s really inspiring work to be able to see ourselves who are both the current and next generation of leaders making a difference now.”\n\n“The Peace First Challenge allows young people to mobilize and take action while getting some truly wonderful support from experienced adults. TSER wouldn’t be where it is today without Peace First’s support and I’d encourage young people who want to make a difference to learn about the organization.”\n\nWatch Eli Erlick\'s Peace First video here: \n\nFor more information on Peace First, visit PeaceFirst.org to get started. For more information on After School, visit AfterSchoolapp.com.