Students at Blue Hills Regional Technical High School engaged one another during Teen Speak Out on Wednesday, April 30. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
CANTON — Superintendent-Director Jill Rossetti and Principal Geoffrey Zini are proud to share that more than 75 students at Blue Hills Regional Technical School participated in Teen Speak Out on Wednesday, April 30.
Teen Speak Out is an event that provides a series of opportunities for students to engage in thoughtful dialogue, empowering them to communicate effectively, listen to one another and cultivate a collective sense of empathy. This was the third Teen Speak Out held at Blue Hills Regional Technical School, after it first took place there during the 2017-18 school year.
“Teen Speak Out is an opportunity to foster increased communication among the students and really proactively facilitate positive community in the school,” said Blue Hills Adjustment Counselor Jeremy Fischer, who coordinates the program. “The students spent the day engaging in conversation about understanding each other, identifying factors that influence school culture and brainstorming ways to further improve the school climate.”
The all-day Teen Speak Out was the culmination of a series of training sessions for student facilitators held earlier this school year. The April 30 event, which involved eight groups of students from all grades and shops, featured large group sessions held inside the school’s gymnasium and small breakout sessions that took place in classrooms throughout the building.
“Large and small group activities gave students the chance to get to know each other, listen intently and have a great time,” Fischer said. “The students engaged in structured conversations about issues that matter to them personally and collectively within the school’s culture. The entire goal of this is to provide our students with a unique experience, involving groups that are diverse as possible. Students are placed in groups with other kids they don’t know and might otherwise never interact with. And that’s intentional.”
The topics discussed by students, who were each given a chance to stand up and speak to classmates for an unlimited amount of time, included the following: increasing opportunities for communication between different grades and shops within the school; creating opportunities to promote community through extracurricular activities; and organizing the cafeteria in a way that would better foster interaction with others.
“They said, ‘I want to know these other grades more.’ Students want that,” Fischer said. “They spoke about how good it would be for them as individuals to sit in different areas of the lunchroom, rather than their normal groups of friends, in order to promote communication. There was a lot of discussion about that. They asked, ‘What is our community now and what can it be ideally?'”
Teen Speak Out will be repeated next year, Fischer said. Any student who wishes to be involved can reach out to Fischer at his office. For more information about Teen Speak Out, contact the Main Office at 781-828-5800.
“The goal is to increase the population of our school that has been able to have this experience,” Fischer said. “It’s a really unique day. For a lot of students, it’s one of the most thought-provoking events they can be involved in here at Blue Hills. We want everyone to be able to be a part of it.”
The outcome of Teen Speak Out is meant to be aspirational, rather than to produce a set of concrete plans to be implemented by the school.
“Ideally, the effect is that students will see that there is a multitude of ways to connect with others in the community and realize they have more in common with each other than they often think,” Fischer said. “It makes them feel they can talk with each other and feel listened to at the same time. It’s a community-building project, rather than being about policy-building.”
Fischer thanked Principal Zini, Superintendent-Director Rossetti and Academic Director Dr. Paul Bavuso for supporting the event. Fischer also credited all the guidance counselors who were closely involved, including Emily Burns, Laura Serpa, Sarah Titus, John-Henry Davis, Olivia Centrella, and Savaughn Vasconcellos, along with two teachers, graphics teacher Aaron Christian and English teacher Grace Quiterio.
Superintendent-Director Rossetti and Principal Zini credited the students who participated for engaging in constructive dialogue and embracing a culture that promotes inclusion.
“This Teen Speak Out was a chance for our students to express themselves in a way that promotes each other’s dignity and value. This event provided a platform for students to feel heard and understood, which is always welcome,” Principal Zini said. “Kudos to our student facilitators and all of our students who spoke out and listened to each other. And thank you to our staff who helped make this event a success.”
“Teen Speak Out has provided all of us with valued insight into what matters most to our students. We heard so much about the importance of open communication and hearing each other out,” said Superintendent-Director Rossetti. “Thank you to Mr. Fischer and all of our staff who have helped make Teen Speak Out possible. I’d also like to thank all of our student facilitators and participants who shared what’s important to them, because what is important to them is important to us. As educators at Blue Hills Regional, we want to support our students as they share their diverse experiences and express themselves in a way that’s constructive, promoting empathy, understanding and inclusion.”
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Students at Blue Hills Regional Technical High School engage one another during Teen Speak Out, a program aimed at fostering dialogue and mutual respect. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
More than 75 students at Blue Hills Regional Technical School participated in Teen Speak Out. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Students at Blue Hills Regional Technical High School engage one another during Teen Speak Out, which is being held this year for the third time at the school. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Teen Speak Out is aimed at fostering dialogue and mutual respect. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Students engaged each other one-on-one during Teen Speak Out. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Students at Blue Hills Regional Technical High School engaged one another during Teen Speak Out. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Teen Speak Out first took place at Blue Hills Regional Technical School during the 2017-18 school year. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Students engaged in constructive dialogue and spoke in favor of a culture that promotes inclusion. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
Students wrote their names on a poster to mark their participation in Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s third-ever Teen Speak Out. (Photo courtesy Blue Hills Regional Technical School)
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