Diverse Voices: Our Inclusive Approach To AI Education

At Youth Speak Out International, we value diversity and ensure that our programs are as equitable as possible. We serve the Palm Beach County community, which is rich in diversity. Many of our students are first-generation Americans from families with unique cultural and linguistic traditions. For our program to succeed, students must feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and see their experiences reflected in those teaching the curriculum. 

This year, Youth Speak Out is taking meaningful steps to grow our inclusive practices. In our digital citizenship program, we seek to engage not only the child, but the entire family in a conversation about the digital landscape. In order to make these conversations at home more accessible, Youth Speak Out will be offering our Family Agreement and enrichment activities in English, Spanish, and Creole. This will allow our families to engage in a way that is accessible and think about topics on a deeper level without navigating a language barrier. 

Down the road, Youth Speak Out will offer instruction in these languages as well. While the Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos that students create will continue to be in English, Youth Speak Out will employ multilingual facilitators who can engage with students in a unique way in the classroom. This will allow students from diverse communities to participate in the lessons at a higher level and share experiences that might otherwise go unmentioned in the discussions. 

At Youth Speak Out International, we value the voices of all youth and aim to serve the Palm Beach County community in the most comprehensive, inclusive way possible. We are excited to take these next steps in our organization and program development that will open new doors and start new conversations in classrooms and homes across Palm Beach County. Digital citizenship is a global issue that is important to every child, so it is important that any curriculum facilitating these conversations includes room for as many voices as possible. 

Thank you to Prime Time Palm Beach County for their ongoing support of our programs. We are excited to serve even more young people in the future and further our impact in the realm of digital citizenship.