Inside Out is a safe space for young Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Questioning, Queer, Asexual and Two-Spirit (we use the acronym LGBTQIA2+ as the umbrella for our community) and allied people ages 13-24. Drop in to hang out and make friends and stay for awesome discussion groups and activities.
We are not a crisis center. Please see our resources page if you or someone you know needs crisis support.
Drop-in hours: 3:00-5:00pm, Tuesday through Friday
Programs: 5:00-6:30pm, Tuesday through Friday
Specialty programs: select Mondays from 4:00-5:00pm (Youth Advisory Council)
Pickup promptly at 7 pm
All programs are currently held in person at our space at 516 W. Colorado Ave. All programs have a hybrid option.
Health, Community, & Advocacy programs center all the skills and knowledges that go into being a healthy, engaged, and active member of our community. In our HAC programs, we address physical and mental health, healthy relationships, queer history, life skills, job searching, community resilience, policy impacts, and more.
Gender Identity and Development programs center topics related to transness, nonbinary, and gender expansive identities. Youth, staff, volunteers, and community partners come together to provide discussion and education about the limitless ways we consider gender identity and gender expression.
IOYS is committed to building leaders within our community to extend our mission of access, equity, and power. We support our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) which helps youth build skills to support one another and integrate youth engagement across all areas of IOYS.
Through different avenues of the arts, Creative Expression programs center creativity as a platform for identity development, connection, and learning new crafts. IOYS partners with local artists, creatives, and organizations to support youth in communicating themselves through a variety of mediums.
Rec Night programs are our time to build community with and through youth–driven activities. Programs include game nights, movie nights, art activities, karaoke, scavenger hunts, basically anything fun to bring us together in sharing all the beauty of our community.
Inside Out is here for youth ages 13-24 from the Tava-Kaavi (Pikes Peak) region. Alongside daily in-person programs, we meet digitally in a Discord server and are accepting new participants!
To join our community center online or in person, please text or call (719) 315-1825 to connect with an Inside Out staff member.
Your first time at Inside Out. Every young person who comes to Inside Out goes through our enrollment interview with a staff member; this interview allows us to get to know each other and make sure that we have your contact information, etc. Then you’ll either jump into our online Discord server or get a tour of our physical location and an introduction to our programs. Youth Advisory Committee leaders will be able to help you figure out the lay of the land and answer any questions you might have or direct you to someone else who might know.
Once you’ve gone through the enrollment interview at Inside Out, everything is open to you! If you have an idea for how we can be better or do something differently to create more access for all youth — please share your ideas with a staff member.
Safety is our top priority at Inside Out Youth Services. That’s why we have full-time armed security at our community center and community events. We collaborate with an incredible security team that is affirming and supportive of our work, and they very much feel like part of our community at IOYS. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.
IOYS welcomes parents and caregivers to tour our center outside of our open hours. If you would like to set up a tour or get more information, please reach out to our programs team.
Our Peer Recovery Coaches are specially trained to build hope, help, and strength into everything that we do at Inside Out! They meet weekly to plan and help to lead our Qmmunity Resilience program. They also help to moderate and create brave space in our online Discord server, welcoming new participants and referring other young people to trusted adults when needed.
The YAC is a group that meets weekly to learn about social justice movements! Our YAC members learn how to build movements, make change in our society, and develop leadership skills. The YAC is often called upon by our board and community to be the face of Inside Out at public events and trainings!
Our brave space agreements help keep our community in healthy relationship to one another. All members of our community (youth, staff, and volunteers) are accountable to these, and we believe in a restorative/reparative justice approach to conflict resolution.
Inside Out is a tobacco- and vape-free organization, as well as a drug/alcohol sober space. One of our safe/brave space rules is “sober up before you show up”. We are committed to preparing young LGBTQIA2+ people with healthy coping skills to prevent drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and abuse, while also connecting youth with resources for curbing risky substance use.
If you’re looking for local resources beyond Inside Out, we have a variety of community partners who provide services in everything from name-change assistance to substance use treatment, and much more.