Our voice is the chief tool through which we make ourselves seen and heard by others. Teaching students how to use their voice, effectively and with integrity, must therefore be a primary objective for any school aspiring to meaningful learning and democratic practice.

How can schools structure such a personal process, while still allowing for the space and individual freedom that is essential to discovering the power and uniqueness of our own voice?

To help schools in their work, the Five Freedoms Project has provided a map of the learning cycle we must traverse in order to discover the sound and power of our own voice — and how to utilize it effectively in a marketplace of diverse, competing ideas.

 Aspiration (or, Connect to Purpose)

An individual’s learning is always based in personal experience and personal meaning. We must identify what matters to us for our voice to be of true value.Learn More | 5 Things You Can Do

 Awareness (or, Provide information)

Learning to use our voices effectively helps bring power to our lives. If we are unused to having our voice matter, we need to expand our awareness of the options we have available to us to be seen and heard. Learn More | 5 Things You Can Do

 Application (or, Develop Tools and Strategies)

Identifying the best tools and strategies for developing the will, skill and habits necessary for being seen and heard is an essential step for any citizen in a democratic community.Learn More | 5 Things You Can Do

 Action (or, Implement and Evaluate)

For learning to truly take root and become a part of who we are, we must be able to use what we learn in personally meaningful ways. The same is true with our voice.Learn More | 5 Things You Can Do

 Adjustment (or, Revise and Renew)

In the final stage of the learning cycle, we learn from our own efforts by observing what works, what doesn’t, and what we must adjust so we can effectively integrate our learning into our engagement with the world around us.Learn More | 5 Things You Can Do