Program Overview

interACT’s Youth Program meets the urgent mental health, community belonging, and leadership development needs of intersex youth. As the only intersex legal advocacy organization in the U.S., interACT provides a uniquely integrated model of care that combines trauma-informed mental health support, affirming peer connection, leadership development, and systems-level advocacy training. Our youth programs are led by intersex staff—many of whom are former youth program participants—and supported by mental health professionals. 

interACT’s Healing and Wellness Retreat provides intersex youth a free, three-day space to connect, heal, and grow as leaders. The retreat includes healing circles and peer support with intersex facilitators and mental health professionals; therapeutic movement, mindfulness, and self-defense workshops; and civic engagement training to build advocacy skills and promote bodily autonomy. The Healing and Wellness Retreat offers a rare environment where up to 30 intersex youth—many of whom have never met another intersex person—can show up fully and be met with understanding and affirmation. Past participants describe the retreat as life-changing, with one 2024 attendee sharing: "I cannot express enough how healing this experience was. Leaving was heartbreaking, but I carry all these people with me into the coming work. I feel like I found a family."

In 2023, interACT launched the Youth Advocacy Cohort—the only program of its kind globally—to provide a deeper, longer-term support structure. This year-long mentorship program offers intersex youth a supportive, affirming space to deepen peer connection, strengthen leadership skills, and build confidence as advocates. Each annual cohort brings together four to six youth leaders to co-create programming and design an advocacy project rooted in their lived experience. Built by and for intersex youth, the program weaves together storytelling, mentorship, and civic engagement to foster resilience, joy, and lasting community. The cohort model not only supports individual growth—it cultivates the next generation of intersex advocates in the fight for equitable, inclusive mental and medical health systems.

Former members of interACT’s Youth Advocacy Cohort have gone on to lead powerful advocacy and education efforts around the world. 2023 cohort graduate Aubrey, a Fulbright scholar in Estonia, recognized a lack of intersex resources in Estonian and Russian while living abroad. With a small grant and mentorship from interACT, he led the translation of key materials into five languages and spoke at World Pride—an effort grounded in accessibility, narrative sovereignty, and self-determination. Liat, another 2023 graduate, served as interim president of InterConnect and was profiled in Connecticut Voice for their leadership. Several 2023 and 2024 alumni testified before Congress in opposition to H.R. 3492, a proposed federal ban on gender-affirming care. From international speaking engagements to media appearances and organizational leadership, interACT youth are not just raising awareness—they’re building power and shaping the global intersex rights movement on their own terms.

Beyond the Healing and Wellness Retreat and Youth Advocacy Cohort, interACT offers virtual peer support groups, youth-created educational resources, and legal advocacy that expand the reach and impact of our care model. Peer support groups are led by Youth Program Manager Apollo Robert, who brings a professional background in special education, community mental health, and nonprofit social welfare. As an intersex agender man with a degree in psychology, Apollo facilitates these groups with a trauma-informed, person-centered approach that creates safe, affirming spaces for youth to connect and heal. Under his leadership, our virtual support spaces have grown into vital hubs of connection, healing, and resource-sharing for intersex youth across the country. 

One peer support group participant shared, “I value this community and have so much more intersex joy to express because of it. I feel seen. I feel like I belong, and that’s been so helpful for me. I know I’m not alone, despite how it may feel sometimes.”

Other ongoing supports include educational tools like What We Wish Our Therapists Knew—written by intersex youth for mental health providers—which help ensure affirming, identity-informed care beyond our programs. This continuity of youth leadership and experience not only strengthens individual well-being, but sustains a growing, youth-powered movement for intersex justice. Over 220 youth currently participate across all programs.

Goals and Objectives

Short-Term Goals

  • Expand the Healing & Wellness Retreat: Grow capacity and funding to serve 30 intersex youth

  • Double Peer Support Offerings to twice a month

  • Support 12+ Youth-Led Projects

  • Develop New Youth-Created Educational Materials

Long-Term Goals

  • Build a pipeline of intersex youth leaders equipped to advocate for systemic change in healthcare, education, and mental health policy

  • Catalyze public narrative shifts by expanding authentic, youth-led intersex storytelling

  • Normalize intersex inclusion in mental health frameworks and support the adoption of culturally responsive tools by therapists and institutions

How Youth Shape the Work

Youth are deeply embedded in every level of interACT’s work—from program creation to public education to governance.

  • Program Design: Ahead of our annual Healing & Wellness Retreat, we conduct surveys with youth to identify the topics and supports that matter most. Their input directly shapes retreat content.

  • Content Creation: Youth Advocacy Cohort members create and lead projects—from current cohort members Spencer developing ASL-translated content, to Calvin writing a youth-centered reproductive health guide.

  • Narrative & Media: Youth trained in personal storytelling, writing, and press engagement speak and write publicly and authentically about their experiences. Their voices help dismantle stigma and expand visibility.

  • Governance: A youth board member seat is reserved for a current program participant, ensuring youth perspectives are part of strategic decision-making and organizational accountability.

By centering intersex youth as decision-makers, facilitators, educators, and advocates, we ensure that our programs reflect the realities and needs of those most impacted—while fostering a new generation of leaders reshaping mental health systems from the inside out.

Evaluation Methods

Each component of the Youth Program includes built-in evaluation tools:

  • Pre/post surveys measuring changes in emotional health, agency, and connection

  • Qualitative reflections from youth participants

  • Attendance and engagement tracking

  • Public reach of youth-created resources and campaigns

  • Longitudinal tracking of cohort member growth and leadership milestones

Conclusion

interACT’s Youth Program directly aligns with the priorities of the Decolonizing Wealth Project by creating affirming, culturally responsive spaces designed by and for intersex youth, especially those living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. In response to the profound isolation, stigma, and systemic harm these young people often face, our program offers trauma-informed care, peer support, and leadership development in environments that honor their full identities and lived experiences. interACT’s Youth Program creates an urgently needed space where intersex youth can experience care that affirms who they are, build lasting connections, and grow into powerful advocates for change. With your support, we will deepen our impact, expand access to community-rooted healing, and continue building toward a future where intersex youth are not only visible and supported but leading the way toward more just healthcare systems, inclusive policies, and a world where all bodies are valued and protected.