In an age where children's voices are easily drowned out by digital noise and societal pressures, nurturing a child's ability to speak up, literally and figuratively, has never been more crucial. Experts and local business owners emphasize the importance of fostering solid vocal skills and self-expression in young people. From techniques to care for growing vocal cords to strategies for building confidence in self-advocacy, a multifaceted approach to "voice development" is shaping a generation of articulate, assertive, and empowered youth. While young people’s voices belong to them, parents, educators, and community leaders can play a vital role in amplifying the voices of our future.
Local speech and language pathologist, Kate Jurevicius said that, ultimately, “every child has a voice and deserves to express themselves in whatever way works for them.” However, she added that expression looks different for every child.
Science of Young Voices
Developing and fostering young voices is a multifaceted process encompassing both physical and metaphorical aspects. Physically, children's vocal apparatus undergoes significant changes as they grow. The larynx descends, vocal folds thicken, and the brain refines control over the muscles involved in voice production. This leads to a broader range of sounds and better pitch, volume, and tone quality control.
However, some children face difficulties in expressing themselves due to various factors such as oral motor deficits, language challenges, cognitive impairment, autism, anxiety, or stuttering. Jurevicius notes that the severity of communication disorders varies widely, from nonverbal to mild impairments in speech intelligibility or social language.
While developmental milestones exist to better understand when a child is on track or delayed with their peers, Jurevicius says, "There's a wide range of 'normal' for a child's developing communication skills." Key markers of early communication include gestures, pointing, vocalizing, babbling, interaction, first words, and word combinations. Some children may excel in one area of communication (oral, receptive, or social) while lagging in others.
Metaphorically, a young person's "voice"—thoughts, opinions, and worldview—is developed through interactions with their environment. Family dynamics, peer relationships, education, media exposure, and personal experiences also influence this process. As children mature, they learn to articulate their thoughts more clearly often testing different ideas as they explore their identity.
Jurevicius emphasizes that regardless of the type or severity of communication impairment, there's always a way to support a child's growth. She highlights the crucial role of parents and caregivers in implementing effective strategies throughout daily routines. While professional help is valuable, parental involvement is critical to a child's progress, often leading to empowering and magical outcomes. “In the end, every child has a voice and deserves every opportunity to express themselves in whatever way works for them. That won’t look the same for every child, and that’s okay,” she said.
Communicate with Kate
communicatewithkate.com
(734) 531-8551
kate@communicatewithkate.com
The Power of Self-Expression
Having a voice goes far beyond the ability to produce sound; it's a fundamental aspect of human interaction and personal development. A strong voice is closely tied to various crucial skills. Practical conversational abilities allow children to articulate their thoughts, engage in meaningful dialogue, and build relationships. Non-verbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions, complements verbal expression, adding depth and nuance to interactions. Understanding non-literal language, including idioms, metaphors, and sarcasm, enhances a child's ability to navigate complex social situations and appreciate the subtleties of communication. Problem-solving skills are often honed through verbal reasoning and discussion, as children learn to express their ideas, consider alternatives, and work collaboratively.
Perhaps most importantly, a well-developed voice enables children to interpret and express emotions, fostering emotional intelligence and empathy. By nurturing these interconnected aspects of communication, we empower children to speak and truly connect, understand, and make themselves understood in an increasingly complex world.
Community organizations such as the Neutral Zone (NZ) provide a transformative experience where youth develop their voices in many ways. According to their website, the organization is a space “where youth embrace their power, ignite their creativity, and launch their future to build equity, justice, and collective liberation.” NZ Executive Director Lori Roddy said that the youth-driven center embraces practices that support providing youth developmental needs, facilitating opportunities that support intrinsic motivation, and building meaningful youth and adult partnerships.
According to Roddy, NZ strives to provide a safe space where youth voices and ideas are the focus. Their success hinges on the hope that youth feel they belong in and matter to their community, that they have power, and that their talent and creativity are uplifted. "When youth voices [are] supported, youth know that they matter," she said, adding that this is critical in supporting their development as humans, their goals and plans for their future, and how they embrace our community.
Opportunities include programs such as music, self-defense, kitchen arts, singing, creative writing, activism through arts, photography, environmental justice, and many more. Additionally, Future Corps offers youth jobs and technical training as they transition into adulthood. According to their website, students will learn goal setting, plan creation, and personal and academic goal achievement skills.
Up to 50% of the NZ board of directors consists of youth who partner with adults to lead programming, reinforcing youth voices. These youth facilitate programming for peers and gain valuable experience (such as how they interact with adults) that they can carry with them in their everyday lives.
Youth have a right, role, and responsibility to be a part of the community in which they live. Roddy says that NZ's hope is to shine a light on youth and help them believe in their capabilities. She reiterated the importance of community involvement: "We are really only successful when [youth] are a part of our community as more than just recipients but as members with valuable contributions."
Neutral Zone
neutral-zone.org
310 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 214-9995
Hearing and Respecting Youth Voices
Jason Smith, executive director at the Michigan Center for Youth Justice agrees that "empowering young people to have a voice and opportunities to express themselves is very important for their development." He says it can help instill confidence and encourage active participation in their communities and education, leading to better academic performance and social skills.
In the juvenile justice system, Smith says that supporting youth voices can help the healing process by providing a safe space to express feelings and receive support and validation from trusted adults and peers. "When young people lack opportunities to express themselves, they may feel marginalized, which can lead to decreased self-esteem and disengagement from school." Behavioral challenges and involvement in the juvenile justice system can result from youth feeling as though their voice isn't heard or doesn't matter, according to Smith.
He underscores parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers' vital roles in nurturing and supporting youth voices. "By actively listening to children, showing genuine interest, and validating their feelings, they reinforce that [youth] voices matter." Tactics such as encouragement and positive reinforcement facilitate confidence in thought expression. Smith adds that creating safe spaces—such as family meetings or classroom discussions—allow kids to speak up without fear of judgment. Additionally, he suggested supporting young people's participation in activities like speech therapy or art programs further enhance their ability to articulate thoughts clearly.
Similar to NZ's inclusion of youth in essential roles, Smith says offering leadership opportunities empowers children to use their voices in an impactful way. "By prioritizing and fostering youth voices, we not only support their individual growth but also contribute to a more inclusive, empathetic society."
Michigan Center for Youth Justice
miyouthjustice.org/
3810 Packard Rd., Suite 200A, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(734) 773-3098
Elevating Stories of Experiences
At Student Advocacy Center (SAC), youth voices are uplifted to impact school policy in local schools, school districts, and even at the state government level. SAC partners with young people to provide a platform that assists with elevating youth stories of school experiences to decision-makers for equitable policy change. Anell Eccleston, Director of Care and Sustainability, says that humans, including students, are the masters of their own life experiences, feelings, and reasoning for actions. He believes that students deserve the opportunity to express their perspectives and feelings about how we can support them best.
Advocates like the people at SAC can prepare students for meetings, teach them how to deliver comments, and prepare them for intense conversations. Regarding policies and practices that impact students more than anyone, Smith believes it's important to involve students in the decision-making process. "The reality is[in order] to have an equitable schooling environment and a culture of responsiveness, student voice is essential in all endeavors."
SAC offers universal, targeted, and intensive support across a continuum of services. Each program has a process of engagement. For example, their statewide helpline receives calls and supports parents and caregivers by phone. Case managers (a.k.a. advocates) can provide more targeted support. Additionally, they offer an intensive education-focused mentoring program. SAC helps students facing many barriers including, but not limited to, suspension or expulsion, disabilities, racism, teen pregnancy, homelessness, and immigrant status.
Eccleston says SAC visits schools and recruits students interested in creating concrete changes in their buildings or districts or advocating for state-level changes. He says recruiting in school buildings allows students to refer and recruit their friends and peers who might also be interested in creating educational change. A youth organizer works with youth leaders to educate them on the school-to-prison pipeline and how they can organize to continue improving the spaces they see needing change.
While students come to SAC with a wide variety of concerns, Eccleston offers some examples of significant issues brought to them like the suspension of students for reasons that don't fall within a district's code of conduct and students receiving administrative transfers (i.e., administrators transferring a student into another education program such as virtual learning) without due process. "As students share their experiences with us, we notice that some of the reasons for a school removal are what we consider unjust and not aligning with their codes of conduct." He says this inconsistency is troubling as students and families may not understand that schools can be held accountable too.
SAC advocates believe in the power of storytelling. Students share their thoughts and feelings, and advocates listen and teach students how to share their impactful stories with decision makers. For example, SAC follows an organizing for change model. Calls for action can vary. For example, they might organize an art show that demonstrates what students see in schools or political demonstrations that illuminate the impacts of zero-tolerance practices.
Student Advocacy Center
studentadvocacycenter.org
124 Pearl St., Ste. 504, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(855) 688-1916
Benefits of Voice Lessons Beyond Singing
Voice lessons teach people how to become better singers, sure, but the benefits of voice lessons transcend singing aptitude. Ann Arbor-based private voice teacher Karen Tenbrink has taught young singers voice lessons for over 25 years. She says the benefits are plentiful. "First, [people] learn to find their voice, that is, how to use their own unique instrument so it can be heard." Outward expression through voice takes courage—something many young people, or anyone, may find intimidating. Being quiet—not talking and especially not singing—guards against vulnerability. Tenbrink says that being brave enough to raise your voice and be noticed can be a powerful lesson in self-confidence.
"Second, knowing how to use their voice allows them to create art which in itself can be a very personal and often therapeutic form of self-expression," she said. Again, introversion is often a safeguard against the outer world, but letting yourself be seen and heard offers immense connections, learning, and self-empowerment opportunities. Tenbrink said that one of the most valuable lessons young singers learn is that they have a voice that should be heard. "Singing is often a way for shy children to express themselves and, from there, to speak. If you can sing it, you can say it!"
Singing enriches connection with others. Tenbrink explained that it is often an intangible emotional experience that kids can share with audience members or even co-performers, "thus building community." She said that singing is an accessible art form for most children—one that offers a deeply personal and satisfying way of making music that they can carry with them anywhere, anytime.
Additionally, Tenbrink underscores the importance of awareness. "In singing, being aware of breathing is very important." She added that this carries over to stressful situations, such as class presentations or tests. "The deep abdominal breathing we use for singing can be applied in those moments to control nerves."
She hopes that every child can learn to sing and, in doing so, discover the value of their voice and reap the benefits it provides. She prefers to teach singers private lessons beginning in middle school. She recommended that, prior to that, the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale and the Boychoir of Ann Arbor are great examples of children’s choirs kids can join prior to beginning private lessons.
For voice opportunities in Ann Arbor check out Boychoir of Ann Arbor at aaboychoir.org or the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale at annarboryouthchorale.org.
