The Pearl is a grassroots non-profit; your donations help keep us running for every student and teacher in our community.
When you donate to The Pearl, you directly support our work to provide students facing marginalization in their school systems with access to safe, empowering education. Your donations enable us to keep our teachers employed, maintain the digital learning tools that make courses accessible to our students, and have scholarship funds available so we never need to turn a student away.
We know that our educational program changes lives. We need your help to reach the students who need us.
Help Support Our LGBTQ Youth
Our LGBTQ youth are in crisis. Across the United States, queer youth, especially transgender youth, are being stripped of their rights, dignity, and the measures put in place to keep them safe.
Since January of 2025, the US government has –
- Barred federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors (Media, 2026)
- Rescinded orders made to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ students in schools (kffbritw, 2026)
- Stated that federal funds can not be used to “promote gender ideology” (potentially leading towards the removal of funding for schools that acknowledge transgender individuals in their curricula) (Kffbritw, 2026)
- Shut down the LGBTQ-specific option on the 988 youth suicide hotline (Media, 2026)
The impact of these actions cannot be overstated. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
Many of our students are teenagers who were pushed from their traditional schools due to the constant threat of violence, bullying, or harassment. The Pearl becomes an oasis for these children, providing a space to learn and earn their high school diplomas in an environment that makes them feel safe and supported.
Support us through the Paypal Giving Fund!
The Pearl Offers a Safe Space for Our Youth
Tragically, there are still thousands of LGBTQ kids who cannot attend their high school without fearing for their safety. While The Pearl cannot help every child who needs a safe place, our doors are always open to students who find us, and we will do everything within our power to ensure these young minds continue to blaze brightly.
Your donation helps us create initiatives such as:
- Offering scholarships to low-income 2SLGBTQ+ students who feel unsafe in public schools
- Providing professional development for teachers to grow more familiar with education in queer history and theory
- Providing more opportunities for students to learn from 2SLGBTQ+ guest speakers
- Creating community events where our queer students can gather in person and connect
- Funding classes with an emphasis on gender studies, queer theory, and queer history
The Pearl does more than just educate. We provide our students with a safe space to grow into the confident, intelligent, and passionate adults they are meant to become. LGBTQ+ young people who find their school affirming with the presence of trusted adults report lower rates of attempting suicide and higher rates of self-esteem. (Trevor Project, 2026)
