Speak Out IPC

Teacher(s): Felicity Markdal

Lessons: 4/week

“My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.”

(Maya Angelou)

Our voice is something that we use every day, a ‘simple’ tool that humans have had almost since the beginning of time, indeed some argue, it is the thing that makes us human. Our voice allows us to let others know that we hear them, to express what we want and what we think, to argue, to agree, to sing, to express love, the list can go on.

Our voices can be loud and full of opinions, but our voices can also be quiet and afraid, indeed our voices are so powerful that Martin Luther King said that ‘our lives begin to end the day we are silent about things that matter’. With this class we would like to help you, help ourselves, help those around us, to break the silence and to find a voice for the things that matter.

Speak out I.P.C has the intention to help you find a voice on the subjects that matter to you and the world. We think about them as subjects of Inspiration, Passion and Commitment. We want you to find your voice and then we will help you figure out how to use that voice in the wider world. Yet what does that mean in reality? Well it means that we will go on a journey, to discover our passions, and the means with which to share those passions with the world.

The class will provide you with research skills; the ability to research both qualitatively and quantitatively into a subject, skills that are useful in university but also in the wider world. You will work alone or in groups on preparing a project or projects that are important to you.

We will also work on expression, whether this is through public speaking and hosting skills, or organising events like conferences, exhibitions, guerrilla marketing or even flash mobs. There are hundreds of ways to share our thoughts and voice with the world, and we will work on many, from photo exhibits to stop motion film, from interviews and articles to open mic nights. We want to stretch your personal toolbox to try things that you are comfortable and uncomfortable with to learn how and why to share your ‘voice’.

Our class will culminate in a weekend of activities, where voices will be loud and proud, about the stories, people and issues that are important to us. This entire event will be organised by us, so you will learn practical event organisation skills and will extend yourself personally.

We hope by the end of our time together that you will have the practical skills to be comfortable with, research, public speaking, and event planning, but also the personal skills of knowing what it is that you want to Speak out about in this world.

Teaching methodologies

Teacher Presentation

Group work

Project work

Laughter

Academic Fields linked to:

Event management