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Overview • Who We Are • Our Partners • Press & Awards
OUR MISSION
SpeakUp! is an educational organization that brings together urban and suburban Youth, Educators and Parents/Guardians to explore and address the issues affecting the quality of their lives and of our society. Through intensive interaction, SpeakUp! conferences emphasize the development of communication skills to foster productive dialogue at home, at school, and within the community to empower all participants to make informed decisions for positive life choices in order to Make a Difference.
SpeakUp! was founded on the belief that youth, educators and parents/guardians will make responsible decisions when provided with factual information that allows one the opportunity to develop an understanding of one’s self and one’s own motivations. This conference will enable each participant to develop techniques to better listen, acknowledge, explore and respond to each other.
OUR HISTORY
The founders of SpeakUp! began with a program called "AIDS Alive." In the process of delivering that program to youth for over ten years, students consistently communicated to us a need for another program to help them better engage with parents and educators and develop the skills to deal with the issues that they confront on a daily basis. Accordingly, we developed the SpeakUp! model to confront their concerns. This began as a large group experience, which drew over 3,000 people over 3 years and evolved into a smaller onsite workshop and follow up series designed for each school.
AIDS Alive and SpeakUp! have two unique and effective assembly programs that we offer to schools and organizations in the area targeting youth from 7th to 12th Grades. The programs are different but related.
The AIDS Alive Program focuses on AIDS Awareness and Prevention. This program has two components: a two-hour seminar or assembly with the students in your school typically followed by a one- and one-half hour program with the parents in the evening. The presenters include a person infected by the disease and a family affected by AIDS. This approach is effective in "putting a face" to AIDS and emphasizing that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate.
OUR RESULTS
Through these combined programs we have reached over 70,000 youth, educators and parents/guardians and more than 150 schools. Our results are positive. We would be happy to provide references from other schools where we have already conducted our programs. Feel free to take a look at some of the awards and press recognition we have received.
We would love to continue our program with you and your group. Please contact us to discuss when we can come to your school or organization and impact your families.
We affirm a belief long held but often forgotten that individuals, families and organizations working together can and do Make a Difference! Let us show you: Schedule a conference or see upcoming conferences in your area.
