Former ALCDSB classroom teacher Sarah Patterson, founder of Speak Up, a local disability advocacy brand, has introduced pilot project ‘St. Paul’s Speaks Up’ to intermediate classes at St. Paul Catholic Secondary School (SPCSS) in Trenton. 

The projects aim is to onboard all grade 7 & 8 students at SPCSS to declare a commitment to inclusivity. Co-created by Patterson and a group of fourteen grade 7 & 8 students, the Speak Up Declaration sends a message of inclusion. “The Declaration sets a standard for students to value the differences of all members of their school community, regardless of background, beliefs, or abilities and a promise to accept and celebrate people for who they are, as they are.” Said Patterson. 
 
Each Grade 7 and 8 classroom at the school has received a laminated copy of the Speak Up Declaration to put up on their wall. The Declaration will be read aloud on the morning announcements each week and one student from each classroom is eligible to be considered for a Speak Up Award, monthly. 

Four of the fourteen committee members of the Speak Up Declaration Team pictured with Sarah Patterson, Founder of Speak Up at St. Paul Catholic Secondary School in Trenton.  L-R Sarah Patterson, Kam, grade 8, Vincenzo, grade 7, Chase grade 8, Tenly, grade 8.

“The award theme for the rest of February and March is Kindness. Each grade 7 & 8 classroom teacher will select a student who goes out of their way to be kind to others. In March myself and the committee members will re-visit each intermediate classroom to award those students,” said Patterson. 
 
For every month of the academic year there is a different theme which relates back to the Declaration. Teachers are encouraged to select a student who has displayed an individual, voluntary act of inclusivity. Once selected, the student is celebrated for their inclusive behaviour or action and is awarded with a certificate. 
 
The core principles of the program were developed by the students under the guidance of Patterson. The team building workshops, which began in the fall, allowed students, who may not have otherwise been acquainted, to get to know one another on a personal level. “This bonding led to the Speak Up Team feeling safe and supported in sharing their personal experiences during the round table discussions. It was through these discussions that the Speak Up Declaration was formed and the themes for awarding students for ‘Speaking Up’ each month came to life,” said Patterson. 
 
A big part of the team building was writing the declaration itself.  “Everyone contributed, I really liked the collaboration, we worked together as a group to come up with  a supportive and inclusive message that translated to the creation of a safe environment, which is why I continued to come to the Speak Up meetings.” Vincenzo, grade 7 student and inclusion advocate.

 

Patterson’s hope is that the program will follow this group of intermediate students into their secondary years, with a goal to implement the Speak Up program in all ALCDSB schools, Kindergarten – Grade 12.  “Through this work our aim is to inspire students to ‘be the change’ by advocating for and supporting student voice in their school communities, as a disability parent, advocate, and former educator, I would like to see the program find its way into every classroom in Ontario within the next 5-10 years.” Said Patterson. 
 
About Speak Up 
The mission of Speak Up is to generate awareness and advocate for the disability community. The goal of each product and program released by the brand is to promote inclusion through education and conversation.  
 
Founder, Sarah Patterson uses the Instagram platform to advocate for disability parents and their children, she also promotes the sale of awareness merch through an online platform to raise funds for organizations that support people who have special needs. One of this year’s initiatives was the 2024 Speak Up Calendar, a fundraiser that contributes to the Breaking Barriers Scholarship for students with disabilities who attend the Community Integration Through Co-operative Education (CICE) program at Loyalist College.