Teachers across Alberta are encouraged to participate at the 2nd Annual Speak Out Conference to be held in Edmonton from May 14-16, as part of the Speak Out – Alberta Student Engagement Initiative.

Launched in 2008, the Alberta government has heard from thousands of Alberta students through the Speak Out website, student forums, the annual conference, and the Minister of Education's Student Advisory Council. Through Speak Out, students have consistently asked for the opportunity to strengthen their connections with teachers. The conference will provide this opportunity. In total, 200 students, ages 14-19, and 100 teachers from across the province will work together and discuss ways to better support one another in their schools.

The conference will feature motivational speaker, Keith Hawkins, who has travelled across North America emphasizing the importance of building strong relationships between students and teachers. Teachers and students can sign up for this event by applying online at http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/ . The deadline for applications is March 26.

With the high demand of the Speak Out DVD Tool Kit, more and more student-led forums are being held across the province. To date, 17 forums have been organized by students in various communities across the province. Starting this February, an additional 15 Speak Out forums will be hosted by several school jurisdictions. Through these group discussions, students in Grades 9-12 can speak out about their educational experience and identify what is, or is not, working for them in school.

The student feedback has demonstrated that Alberta youth have a keen understanding of what is important to their learning. A number of common issues have emerged around improving student-teacher interaction, student preparation for their futures, alternative evaluation and testing methods, and creating a more personalized and healthy learning environment. A detailed analysis of what students are saying about education can be found in the Speak Out Annual Report.

There is a growing body of evidence that links student engagement with graduation rates and academic achievement. Asking for students' input is instrumental to building a more effective education system in Alberta as well as creating more engaged and successful students.

More information is available through the Alberta Education news release.