2024 Theme: “Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Re-Setting the Way We Think”
Voices of Our Future is an event that gives young people a platform to express their ideas and develop public speaking and leadership skills. The event empowers young people to become effective communicators and leaders, promoting their development and encouraging them to play an active role in their community.
Mission Statement and Vision
The primary goal of this event is to give youth a platform to share their ideas in their community while gaining public speaking and leadership skills primarily to those who have not had the opportunity to do so in the past. The vision for this event is to provide an opportunity for the youth within the 30-mile radius of Stratham, NH to write speeches, poetry, and/or spoken word(including song) about any topic they choose that falls under the theme “Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Resetting the Way We Think”.
As an event designed for those who have not had this opportunity before, we value diversity, equity and inclusion above all. If you, or someone you know are in grade 5th-12th, and have some connection in the 30-mile radius of Stratham, NH, send them our way!
Speeches, Poetry, Proses, any form of spoken word, and song+dance accepted.
We choose ~20 students total from grades 5-12 and host an event where everyone shares about different topics that fall under this year’s theme, CtrI+Alt+ Delete: Resetting the Way We Think”. Students will go through a selection process, including an audition. The time limit for the talks would be 10 minutes max, making the talks themselves on the shorter side, 5 minutes max for spoken word, poetry, and song+dance.
Timeline:
Application Opens: September 15th, 2023
Application Closes: November 30th, 2023
*Applicants notified on a rolling basis for auditions*
Tentative date for Auditions: December 9th and 10th, 2023
Applicants notified of acceptance December 12th, 2023
Applicants let us know if they are still available to participate by December 15th, 2023
Mandatory First Group Workshop: January 6th, 2024, 10 AM-5 PM
Rough take of rehearsal, first draft of writing due: January 31st, 2024
Second take of rehearsal, second draft of writing due: February 15th, 2024
Final Edits/finishing touches: February 29th, 2024
Public Speaking Mini-masterclass with people who are speaking(poetry, spoken word, speeches), mandatory: March 2nd, 2024
Performance and Public Speaking Practice till April 30th, 2024
May 4th – dress rehearsal
Event on May 5th, 2024!
About the Founder and Organizer: Bhumika Prem
Bhumika Prem is a sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy and no stranger to the Seacoast, NH area. After giving a talk at TEDxPortsmouth at 14, and speaking at Creative Mornings at 15, she’s a strong believer in the power of youth voices. At Phillips Exeter, she’s the founder of A(rt): More Possibilities in STEM, the institution’s very first STEAM club, where they aim to recognize the ‘A’ in STEM. She is regional director of Rockingam County’s Visual Art’s Division as a part of Back to Bach, a student-run non-profit, and an Ambassador for the ENGin program, a non-profit that cultivates interculteral and language exchange by pairing English-speakers with Ukrainian youth. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, painting, and advocating for issues she is passionate about.
Community Partners:
Contact us:
Email: contactvoicesofourfuture@gmail.com
Instagram: @wer_voicesofourfuture
Additional website: racialunityteam.com/youth-voices
The World of Bhumika Prem 