Stand Up, Speak Out Camp | Grace Portfolio

Stand Up, Speak Out:
Journalism for Young Activists

Stand Up, Speak Out: Journalism for Young Activists is a project I undertook for my Girl Scout Gold Award. I wanted to address problems regarding journalism by combining many of my passions: teaching, public speaking, service and journalism. This project took almost an entire year from start to finish and more than 100 hours of work, and it was completely worth it. I also created a website with all the resources and tips I used for free for teachers to use to replicate the camp and spread journalism even further. Below are all the aspects of the camp.

Writing

My group of over 70 students wrote articles with research and peer quotes about topics they care about, with topics ranging from teen homelessness to climate change.

Public Speaking

The students each rehearsed and read their articles aloud to their classrooms, with many of them having to work to overcome discomfort with reading aloud, coming out the other side with more confidence.

Results

We compiled the students' stories into three magazines, one for each grade, designed their spreads and fundraised almost $1,000 to print over 200 total magazines for the students to bring home.

Longevity

I created a website that provides all the resources needed for the camp to be recreated. I worked with organizations in my own community to ensure its replication and contacted dozens of journalism teachers spread SUSO nationwide.