Speak Up

Student Voice


Transcript

“Student voice. I think it means to get your voice out there as a student. What you believe in and what you pretty much do”

STUDENT VOICE. IT MEANS KIDS TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER TO THEM, IN THEIR EDUCATION AND IN THEIR LIVES

“You can’t really be a leader without a voice. You gotta speak up and speak what’s on your mind”

AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT “SPEAK UP” IS ALL ABOUT. ACROSS ONTARIO, SCHOOLS HAVE LAUNCHED PROJECTS – STUDENT-LED PROJECTS – THAT ARE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK IS IMPORTANT. NOT WHAT THEIR TEACHERS THINK IS IMPORTANT. NOT WHAT THEIR PARENTS THINK IS IMPORTANT. WHAT THEY THINK.

“Speak Up. Operation Green Space”

EVERYONE THESE DAYS IS WORRIED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND A COUPLE OF THE PROJECTS FOCUSED ON MAKING OUR WORLD A LITTLE GREENER.

“We’re here to say, bullies feel small, victims stand tall”

ANYONE WHO’S BEEN TO SCHOOL KNOWS HOW BIG A PROBLEM BULLYING CAN BE, AND THESE KIDS WROTE A PLAY THAT SHOWS THE MANY WAYS BULLIES CAN RUIN OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES, IN PERSON AND EVEN ON LINE

“You’re a freak of nature. An alien. A weirdo”

[basketball]

BOYS, BOOK AND BASKETBALL…THREE GREAT THINGS THAT GO GREAT TOGETHER IN THIS PROJECT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF READING

“You can be anything you want to be, and the key is reading…Readers are leaders!!

IF THE ENVIRONMENT, BULLYING AND READING SEEM LIKE THE OBVIOUS KINDS OF THINGS KIDS WOULD DO…IMPORTANT AND EVERYTHING, BUT NOT REALLY SURPRISING... SOME OF THE OTHER “SPEAK UP” PROJECTS ARE A LITTLE MORE, SHALL WE SAY, UNEXPECTED.

“We love wacky Wednesdays”

I DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT WACKY WEDNESDAYS ARE ALL ABOUT, BUT IF THEY LOOK LIKE THIS, I’M GONNA SUGGEST THEY BRING THEM IN AT MY SCHOOL.

AS FOR THE LIVING POETRY, I’LL TAKE 10 OF THOSE SHIRTS TO GIVE OUT FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

AND WITH FLU SEASON COMING UP, A PROJECT ABOUT WASHING YOUR HANDS TO STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA

“Fight germs. Stop the spread of germs”

LAST YEAR, ONTARIO SUPPORTED 1,200 STUDENT PROJECTS IN 850 SCHOOLS.  ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT.  SOME ARE SERIOUS.  SOME ARE FUNNY.  AND SOME WILL MAKE YOU CRY

“Down below at the bottom of the hill was what they call the Samsung valley…Excuse me” (cries)

LIKE THE MEMORY INITIATIVE, WHICH LOOKS AT THE STORIES WAR VETERANS HAVE TO TELL, AND THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TELL THEM

“This is the time now to get the stories out. You know, it’s not nice to say, but these guys are not going to be around”

[song…]

THIS PROJECT WAS   A SONG ABOUT ALIENATION AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE KNOWS ABOUT THAT, EVEN IF THEY DON’T WANT TO ADMIT IT

[more song…]

SOME SCHOOL BOARDS THAT PARTICIPATED IN SPEAK UP ALSO SENT REPRESENTATIVES TO A LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, WHERE STUDENTS PLAYED TEAM-BUILDING GAMES, AND DISCUSSED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A COMMUNITY MEMBER, EVEN A COMMUNITY LEADER. AND WHAT THEY AGREED, EVERY TIME, IS…YOU GUESSED IT…IF YOU WANT TO BE HEARD, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP!

“We don’t want opinions from just adults. We want opinions from students too, because adults aren’t the only people in life”

“You got to get everyone involved and you have to make everybody feel like they do belong”  

“What this has taught us is that even though your voice is small, you can still make a difference”

IF YOU AND OTHERS AT YOUR SCHOOL WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, GO TO ONTARIO.CA/SPEAKUP, TO SEE HOW YOU CAN FIND YOUR STUDENT VOICE…AND SPEAK UP!

Apply now at Ontario.ca/SpeakUp.

Deadline is November 10, 2009.