EMPOWERING CHILDREN, EDUCATORS, ARTISTS & COMMUNITIES TO CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Arts & Education
Speaking Out Collective uses storytelling and story-making to spark the curiosity and imagination of children, educators and communities. Rooted in the arts, we question, create and reimagine narratives.
Our arts-based programming includes residencies, curriculum development, performances and professional development.
Our toolbox of techniques uses poetry, music, dance, art, puppets and more. We seek to ignite conversation, spark change and support new creation by helping students, educators and communities find their voice.
We’re committed to dismantling systemic and racial inequities while infusing joy in learning by alleviating the barriers around arts engagement and education. We meet youth, families, educators and communities right where they are, offering flexibility around what our learning will look like together.
We want all people no matter their age or background to see themselves reflected in their education and community. We focus on celebrating our diversity and ensure the process, exploration and discussion are valued over a finished product.
Materials for Learning
Critical Literacy is the foundation of all our programming. Our classrooms and collective knowledge often lack resources, especially ones that honor and celebrate BIPOC history and culture. Our story-based curricula, residency and truth telling programs are designed to tackle this head on.
We work with elders, scholars, teachers and communities to document, develop and build access to BIPOC stories and curriculum that are inclusive, age appropriate, and meet social, science and arts classroom standards.
Continuing Education
We offer professional development to address the needs of teachers and their students’ communities. From training on the latest evolution of our BIPOC Truth Telling Curriculum to critical literacy methods, we help teachers make their classrooms engaging, artistic and successful, and foster open neighborhood and community dialogue.
Support for Communities
Change happens within the context of a larger community. Our approach extends beyond schools to help ensure everyone has the necessary support to do their best learning. We perform community puppet shows on a wide range of topics and create community murals that celebrate diverse cultures and neighborhoods.
"Not all programming or guest teachers are the best fit for our kids, as they have some intense challenges. We strive to ensure the programming we offer is culturally relevant and guest teachers have the right mindset to embrace our students and accept them as they are. We have only had the best, most positive experiences with Speaking Out Collective!
They have done training with our staff and in-classroom sessions with students. The rigor of learning that they bring far exceeds any other program we have used. I have witnessed students write multiple pages of stories, who usually struggle to write a single sentence. Many of the stories, lessons and activities are tied into complex social issues that are presented in a developmentally appropriate way that students can think deeply and creatively to understand and react to those complex issues."
— Elementary School Principal
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us with any questions. or to learn more about our programming,
Email
info@speakingoutcollective.com
Phone
(612) 504-0523