Who Is RYA?

RYA Mission

Rainbow Youth Alliance (RYA) supports the community of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, queer, and questioning teens in Montgomery County, MD.

RYA Vision

RYA envisions a future when LGBTQIA+ teens have safe, nurturing environments built on respect, safety, care, and attention, where they can access the information, skills, and peer connections needed to thrive.

What We Do

RYA is committed to providing safety, support, learning, and leadership programs for LGBTQIA+ youth through peer-to-peer interactions and qualified adult facilitation.

We nurture community support through outreach activities, increasing visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community and providing an outlet for adult volunteers and allies to build a supportive system for queer youth in Montgomery County, MD.

At Rainbow Youth Alliance, We Value:

Youth Voices
Flexibility to LGBTQIA+ Youth Needs
Radical Inclusion
Unconditional Love + Queer and Trans Joy
Queer Strength, Built in Community

RYA History

When her teenage son came out to her as gay, Stephanie Kreps and her family couldn’t find a supportive group in Montgomery County.

They regularly drove for hours to find groups in other parts of Maryland that supported gay teenagers. Then, Stephanie turned toward her community at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville (UUCR).

Stephanie, along with her good friends Cynthia Shires-Thurston and Irene Eckstrand, soon founded Rainbow Youth Alliance (RYA).

At the first RYA Sunday afternoon meeting in March 2006, there were a few youths and three adult volunteers. The group has been meeting ever since!

Over the years, RYA has continued to grow with space and support from UUCR, individual donors, foundation support, and an Advisory Council. The group now has two part-time staff, including a Program Director with clinical expertise and a Program Coordinator who connects essential programs with community members looking for spaces where queer youth will be safe, celebrated, and affirmed.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville (UUCR)

Meet the RYA Team

Staff

Shane Henise (he/him)
Program Director

Very dear to his heart, Shane first came across RYA when he was in high school. As a teenager, RYA provided a safe space to meet others who shared his experience when there was little other access to the LGBTQIA+ community. Shane has been working with the queer community for over a decade, with a special focus on the transgender community. He has used his passion to advocate for the trans community through many avenues, including psychology, research, media, and healthcare. Shane earned his master’s degrees in psychological and mental health counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2020, Shane started working in healthcare for transgender youth and engaging in community-based research. Leading RYA groups is truly the highlight of his week, and he’s proud to support youth in ways he did not have when he was coming into his identity.

Mia Morris (she/her, they/them)
Program Coordinator

Mia (she/they), a proud RYA alum (2006-10) and RYA staff member, is honored to continue supporting the local LGBTQIA+ community. With a background in nonprofit business management and curating access-centered community spaces, you may not often see her, as she's often working behind the scenes. Mia works hard to ensure everyone has what they need to know they can be themselves, even if they aren't sure who that is yet.

While not a mental health professional, they keep current on mental health first aid and disability justice practices, always approaching things with intersectionality in mind. When not working, Mia can be found spending time with her spouse and dogs in the garden or trying out a new recipe or craft.

Staff and volunteers who work with youth complete applications, interviews, background checks, trainings, and ongoing supervision to meet the specific needs of RYA youth. They are trained on clinical skills, such as active listening, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and understanding mandated reporting requirements. They also have experience and training regarding sensitivity to LGBTQIA+ youth issues, addressing their questions and concerns, co-facilitating meetings, responding to challenges, mental health first aid, and emergency management.

Facilitators & Volunteers

RYA has two main volunteer positions that work directly with teens at every Youth Group.

Youth Group facilitators work as a two-person team. The volunteer facilitator works alongside RYA’s Program Director or another qualified lead facilitator to support the peer-to-peer support meetings. Facilitators have experience working with adolescents, people with queer and gender-expansive identities, neurodivergence, mental health diagnoses, and social barriers. Many volunteer facilitators are licensed social workers, mental health professionals, or educators; however, all backgrounds and experiences are welcome.
The greeter welcomes teens in the lobby of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville (UUCR), where Youth Groups are hosted. They provide information to parents or guardians who may bring their teen in and direct the youth participants to UUCR’s lower level for Youth Groups. They ensure that only youth attend the group to maintain the peer-to-peer atmosphere. The greeter also prepares and serves a snack to the Youth Group and helps clean up after the meetings.

RYA’s Advisory Council, made up of adult volunteers, serves a similar function to a Board of Directors. They are responsible for RYA’s financial stability, fundraising, the strategic direction, program support, and sustainability.

The Advisory Council is comprised of RYA alumni, founders, long-time volunteers, and supporters representing a wide range of identities and diversity, including age, race, sexual orientation, gender, and professional background.

RYA is always looking for more folks who want to lend their skills, time, passion, and resources to our group. Professional backgrounds that may be useful include adults with experience in fundraising, finance/accounting, legal expertise, nonprofit management, clinical work with LGBTQIA+ youth, and a variety of other backgrounds.