Speak Up Conference helps students get their voices heard
The buzz of idle chatter among more than 700 adolescents filled the gymnasium at Brampton’s Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School as the young crowd waited for start of the Speak Up Student Conference, organized to inspire students to use their voices to make a difference in local communities and around the world.
About 750 Grade 7 students from 19 schools at northeast Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board schools attended the January 28 event designed to help youth find issues they are passionate about and spur them to action on those issues.
The event opened with lyrical inspiration from country singer/songwriter Sacha, who was followed by presentations by ACCESS founder Daniel Francavilla, school board student trustees Izabella Balcerak and Meghana Benoy and members of Cardinal Ambrozic’s student-led anti-bullying and leadership group.
After the presentations, students moved into workshops to discuss ideas on local and global issues, education and learning, student well-being and Catholic education.
“I think it’s important to be heard,” said Rheana Isaac, a Grade 8 student at St Agnes Catholic School, who was helping present the conference. When youth speak up they can help themselves and others, insisted 13-year-old schoolmate Therese Perucho.
Speakers and presenters were in chorus in telling students they have a powerful role to play in their communities.
“There’s no better time to speak up than now”
Francavilla, 24, told the elementary school students.
A graduate of St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary School, Francavilla recounted how he started a charity, now supporting projects locally and abroad, when he was in Grade 10.
He signed up for a school trip to the Dominican Republic. What he saw opened his eyes to the reality that most of the world lives in poverty.
“It was very different than seeing it on TV,” Francavilla said.
He recalled returning home and sharing his experience with the congregation at his church and launching a fundraiser to buy school uniforms for children in the Dominican Republic. He collected over $8,000 that weekend and essentially started ACCESS.
The youth-led non-profit, originally founded to help students in developing countries access education, has evolved to also empower youth who want to make positive social change.
“If you come together as a group and you focus on an issue, you can come up with a solution right on the spot,” he said, and suggested change doesn’t always have to take years.
Conference activities culminated with a “call to action” by St. Patrick’s parish pastor Father Vito Marziliano.
Originally published by Roger Belgrave in The Brampton Guardian on January 25, 2015. Photos by Rob Beintema.
ACCESS offering RHYTHM for youth to learn through breakdancing
This Spring, ACCESS has added a new format to Speak Up for Change Workshops: Breakdancing. Working with RHYTHM, ACCESS will be helping to teach youth how to express themselves through breakdance, through a 12-week dance program.
Not only is RHYTHM about learning how to dance, it is about giving youth accessibility to foster their interests and professionally develop — not only as artists, but also as people.
The program is designed to promote creativity, confidence, self-esteem and healthy-active-living.
"Youth learn about dance as a positive outlet for emotions (both negative and positive), as a method of conflict resolution and as a framework to express and understand their own cultures and the cultures of others," says Damon Pfaff, Program Manager.
Rather than teaching a few dance moves, the RHYTHM program engages youth in various activities to develop them physically and emotionally, and to make them more culturally sensitive.
"This program is really about bringing youth together through a shared passion for the arts. Students learn to unite and create as a community. We discuss media, social issues, self awareness and really dig into what role art and dance play in social change. We want to see these youth become leaders through creativity and collaboration."
There are two classes a week with two dance teachers per class, local volunteers and important special guests from the arts community. There will be guest performances, rare videos and giveaways. Students enjoy a variety of activities that focus on technique, personal and interpersonal skill building. As their skills develop, they will also participate in discussions and get the chance to view hard to find media related to b-boy/b-girl culture. As a culminating activity, the RHYTHM classes will conclude with a public final performance.
Programming is open to all youth (12-24 years old). The lessons start from the basics so beginners are welcome.
Registration and Program Dates will be available at SUFC.ca/workshops in late May. For more information on the program, please email damon@accesscharity.ca.
Youth Workshop Series offers youth a chance to step up
ACCESS is working with Brampton student-run group STEP to present a helpful workshop series for local youth, to be hosted in February 2014. ACCESS extends its online Speak Up for Change blog program by facilitating such in-person workshops. The goal of these free workshops are to provide youth in the Peel Region with the opportunity to become aware of their potential to take action and collaborate.
"There are a great deal of people out there that need assistance from others, and there are also a great deal of people that have the ability to provide that assistance. Some of whom may have the necessary good intentions and ideas, but not the ability to implement them," shared Vithuran Sukumar, VP of STEP.
"We hope that by holding these workshops, we can help others create their own projects, so that we would be able to, even in an indirect manor, help even more people," expressed Vithuran.
Registration for each workshop is free at the links below or SUFC.ca/Workshops. Youth can participate in one or all of the sessions, at no cost.
Winter Workshop Series
Workshops for youth looking to make a difference
- December 10 | What: Determining Your Drive
- February | How: Stepping Up
- February | Who: Partnerships and Mentors
"As a young grassroots group, the STEP team has been working with ACCESS to develop and strengthen their student-run organization," Daniel Francavilla, founder of ACCESS, shared. "Several months later, we were pleased to provide STEP with the opportunity to develop and plan this workshop series."
For more on the December Speak Up for Change Workshop series, or to register, please visit SUFC.ca/Workshops.
Contact sufcworkshops@accesscharity.ca with any questions.
About ACCESS
ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education is a youth-run, non-profit organization that facilitates education and empathetic leadership development through initiatives that engage, inspire, and motivate youth to drive positive change, locally and globally. ACCESS envisions the empowerment of generations of leaders through education in order to inspire meaningful development in their own communities.
Launching "Speak Up for Change" Blog Program
In addition to raising money for students in developing nations, ACCESS aims to engage and educate youth in North America about relevant world issues and the current global development situation. Speak Up for Change is a new initiative of ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education with School Supplies, Inc.
About Speak Up for Change
Launched in the fall of 2008, Speak Up for Change is a program that gives both youth and organizations a chance to write about poverty and education-related issues. It provides students with writing experience and online exposure, as well as community service hours and prizes, and provides organizations with exposure.
Topics include social justice, youth activism, global development, poverty, education, political action, and more.
Contributors respond to current events, related quotes, and social justice issues. The forum is moderated by members of the ACCESS Speak Up for Change Team, who both assign and edit the articles. Topics will be posted by the team on a regular basis, inviting responses by youth. Schools are encouraged to become involved in the program, as a the topics and writing assignments easily fit as a component of their curriculum. Guest contributors are welcome and include educators, politicians, local celebrities, members of the non-profit community, and social activists.
It's estimated that globally 1.5 million new blog entries will have appeared in the past week. Through Speak Up for Change, let's ensure that we contribute as many positive, youth-written, change-driven posts as we can.
Calling You to Action
ACCESS is seeking schools, students, and individuals who are interested in participating in the program. This includes blog entries from non-profit organizations, relating to our topics above. Both regular contributors and one-time participants are welcome.
Submissions will be published on the Speak Up for Change website, after being approved by our editors and categorized according to topic and theme. Please consider writing a new blog entry, or sending us existing written content for the blog. Accompanying video and photos are most welcome.
Funding the Program
As a non-profit organization, ACCESS is still accepting sponsors for the Speak Up for Change program. The program is currently supported in part by local organizations.
Prizes to reward participation in the program as well as for promotional campaigns are ideal. Additional funds would be used to promote the program through advertisements online, send information packages to schools, and provide printed resources to participating students.
Visit the new website at www.speakupforchange.ca
To get involved today, send an email to editor@accesscharity.ca.