Speak Out is Alberta Education's way of ensuring Alberta's youth have a voice in the decisions that affect their learning and their futures. It's an opportunity for students to tell us how we can offer education programs that are supportive, flexible and consistent with their needs.
Speak Out Online
The Speak Out interactive website, www.speakout.alberta.ca is a place where youth are sharing their thoughts and opinions with their peers and with Alberta Education. The website includes videos, contests, fully moderated discussion boards, a daily blog, and information on Speak Out Forums, the Annual Student Conference and the Minister's Student Advisory Council. This website is a fully public site and boasts thousands of student-generated comments and posts with over 100,000 views. Students are talking about everything including teaching styles, curriculum, technology, the future and their desire to improve how education looks and feels for them. Join the conversation and be heard!
Speak Out Forums
During this 2009-10 school year, 26 Speak Out Forums will be hosted across the province. At these small group facilitated discussions, Grades 9-12 students talk about their education. We talk about what works, what doesn't, and what can be done about it. Dates, locations, and results from these Forums are available on the website. In order to provide more opportunities for students to speak out anywhere and anytime, a free Speak Out Forum DVD Tool Kit is now available. Send an email to speakout@gov.ab.ca to get your complimentary copy.
Annual Student Conference — May 14-16, 2010, Edmonton
Each year, Speak Out hosts an Annual Student Conference in order to continue the conversations that occur online and at the Forums. This year, students will work with teachers in order to strengthen that critical educational partnership. There are only 200 student seats available and they fill up fast. If you are interested in attending, apply online now. The application deadline is Friday, March 26, 2010.
Minister's Student Advisory Council
The 2009-10 Council consists of 24 youth, aged 14 to 19, with different backgrounds, opinions, experiences and perspectives from all regions of Alberta. The Council provides its perspectives to the Minister and Alberta Education on educational issues. Council member terms are for one year to a maximum of two years. They receive leadership, facilitation, media and public speaking training and meet with the Minister in September, December, and March. Each Council member hosts their very own Speak Out Forum using the DVD Tool Kit. Biographies and a Terms of Reference for the Council are available online. The application process for the 2010-11 Council is now open online. The application deadline is Friday, May 21, 2010.
