Rainbow Routes' first-ever study-away program offered a rich, 7-day exploration of queer history, culture, and community across the vibrant cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Every moment was designed with queer identity and celebration at the forefront. Students stepped into history in the neighborhoods where the LGBTQ+ rights movement was built, traced the legacy of queer leaders and activists through walking tours and museum visits, and connected with the community at the San Francisco Pride Parade!

Short-Term Programs: California Queer History  Field Study

BY THE NUMBERS

12

STUDENTS

2

CITIES

7

DAYS

100% OF STUDENTS WOULD RECOMMEND RAINBOW ROUTES

100% OF STUDENTS FELT SAFE & SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM

Rainbow Routes' California Queer History Field Study introduced students to historical inquiry through the lens of queer history, culture, and community. Offered in partnership with the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO), this 7-day program combined field-based learning, research, and hands-on experiences to give students a comprehensive understanding of queer history, along with skills they can apply within their own degrees. Throughout the program, students engaged directly with community leaders, historians and professors, physicians, and drag artists – gaining a unique, identity-affirming mentorship often missing from traditional study-away opportunities.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

LEARN

  • Introduction to Archival Research

  • Drag King History 

  • Castro District Lecture

  • History of Pride Seminar

  • National AIDS Memorial Grove Lecture & Reflection

EXPLORE

  • North Beach LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour

  • Harvey Milk Terminal Tour

  • Mattachine Steps Visit

  • GLBT History Museum Tour

  • Out & About Hollywood Walking Tour

CONNECT

  • San Francisco Pride Parade

  • 5B Documentary Screening and Q&A

  • Lunch & Learn with Rainbow Carrots LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group

  • Zine Workshop

“This trip was a life changing experience that made me feel secure and empowered in my queer identity.” 

– Madeleine H., UNCO Student, Junior, English Major

In partnership with the University of Northern Colorado, students earn college credit for HIST 292: Field Course in History through Rainbow Routes' study-away program. Students gain hands-on skills in historical inquiry and research while immersed in queer history and community.

Students are introduced to archival research through seminars and visits to one of the largest LGBTQ+ collections in the world, learning firsthand how this history is preserved and shared. They met with archivists preserving the pieces that almost didn't survive, and with the community leaders carrying that legacy forward today.

MEET OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNER

"I can't remember seeing a group of young people so absolutely engaged with learning."

–Professor Kelly Langley Cook, Program Faculty Lead, UNC's Director of Social Studies Education

BE PART OF WHAT’S NEXT

We believe every student deserves a study-away experience that empowers them to explore the world as exactly who they are. Rainbow Routes brings queer history and community to life through place-based learning and local partnerships — connecting LGBTQ+ students across cultures and generations. Let's make that possible for even more students.

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