What is ChildSpeak?

What began in Zimbabwe in 1998 as a simple letter-writing exercise involving 11 year olds in two countries has become an exploration of global issues and responsibilities - discussions about citizenship, HIV/AIDS, democratic conventions, cultural traditions, environmental stewardship and human rights.

In its current form, ChildSpeak matches Calgary elementary school students with counterparts in developing countries, those in which Bow Valley College (Calgary, Canada) has Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)- funded projects. The children jointly develop ideas for “themed learning” addressing social and community development, projects they then complete via couriered exchanges of work and letters. The children make games, research books, create picture quilts, put up websites, write journals, paint pictures, learn how biosand water filters operate, produce films, address entrepreneurship – whatever it takes to express their views.

ChildSpeak now operates in 10 Calgary Board of Education schools, 2 Namibian schools and 8 Ghanaian schools and is now in Cameroon (about 1500 children are involved but numbers continue to increase).