Hello everyone! It's Cristy, your Program Advisor here at The Practice Space. I wanted to take a moment to say congratulations and celebrate our first Expressive Leaders cohort! By now I am sure you have seen lots of Expressive Leaders posts through our Facebook and Instagram, and it is a dream come true for us to be able to get student voices out there on public platforms.
Here are some featured platforms from our end of the year Private Launch Day!
THE STATE OF OUR EDUCATION - A PODCAST BY ELLA BRAMWELL
"SHOULD COLLEGE BE COST FREE" - YOUNG WISHES YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY MERCY NIYI-AWOLESI
"CORONA DIARIES" - G2GTV YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY MISTURA BANKOLE
TIMELY CONVERSATIONS - A PODCAST BY SIDDARTH MADDHULA
Leaders and mentors alike worked together to focus on making their projects work. As our leaders immersed themselves in their leadership, our mentors made sure to reach out and advocate for the project needs as well. I can't help but think back to our first day when we all took paint and stamped our handprints on the walls of The Practice Space. Although this wasn't the first year we expected to have, we at TPS are incredibly impressed (but not surprised!) with how each of our members overcame adversity. I know that regardless of what the future holds, our passionate students will continue to use their voice to advocate for their communities far and wide.
When we created this program, we thought of all the life-changing encounters where we felt the need to speak up. Many of us have had those moments of uncertainty when we held our first leadership roles. We have all felt the fear of being wrong, being judged, or feeling anything but confident. Sometimes because of our perceived lack of knowledge and skill or stigma related to age, we feel as though our input is less valuable. I want to remind our audiences that no matter what age or background, you have the power to make a change by speaking up. Beyond speaking, we also have to be intentional listeners. We must choose to listen to respect, learn, support, and grow together as a larger community. Opinions from our youth are ones we often most ignore, but the leaders we most often need. Thank you everyone for continuing to support our leaders, their efforts, and most importantly the power in their voices!
If you would like to find out how to get involved or be interviewed for any of the ongoing projects listed above please don't hesitate to contact me directly at Cristy@practice-space.org.