Project Soapbox helps local kids find their voice

“We’re empowering young people to understand the power of their voice and let them see how they can make a change in their community, in their state and in their country,” said Linda Platt, chief advancement officer for the organization.

The students – who were from high schools and middle schools around New Castle County – worked on their speeches at school and then gathered at UD on Feb. 3. They split into groups and gave their speeches, then eight finalists were chosen to speak to the entire group in an auditorium at Purnell Hall.

Three community leaders, State Rep. Paul Baumbach, State Rep. Kevin Hensley, and UD political science professor David Redlawsk, critiqued the speeches and gave students feedback.

One of the students will be chosen to represent Delaware at the Project Soapbox national summit in Washington, D.C. That selection will be announced in March.

Emma Smith, a sophomore at Odessa High School, spoke about being diagnosed with ADHD and how it has affected her. She said ADHD affects up to 9 percent of children, but people with ADHD are often seen as not working to their full potential.

Smith said she imagines a world in which ADHD is no longer stigmatized.

“Courses for teachers, schools and colleges should be made to help adults understand that ADHD is not a disability; it’s a superpower,” she said. “And kids need to be taught in a way that works for their minds, not the way that teachers and adults think every mind works and comprehends things.”

Jessi Salaria, a seventh-grader at Louis L. Redding Middle School, addressed suicide prevention, noting that each year 1.2 million people attempt suicide and 800,000 people die from it. She called on the audience to help prevent suicide.

“Talk about it. Bring awareness. Look up the signs so you know what to do,” Salaria said. “You just might save a life.”

Ryan Volpe, a seventh-grader at Cantwell’s Bridge Middle School, touched on a similar theme, focusing his speech on men’s mental health. Men have a higher suicide rate than women, but are less likely to reach out for help due to the stigma, he said.

“As a society, we need to teach men that it’s okay to reach out. We need to teach men that they will not be judged,” Volpe said. “We need to make it normal for men to cry and show emotion. We need to reach out to men who might be suffering in silence.”

Jade Marie Wright, a freshman at William Penn High School, talked about generational trauma, the effect it has on kids, and why therapy is important.

“When something is normalized for so long, kids begin to mimic and shadow what they see around them. But this becomes a problem when the stuff that is being normalized is abuse and alcoholism,” Wright said. “You might find yourself saying, I will never be like my mother, or I’ll never be like my father. But how can we not be something that’s in our DNA and our bodies. Generational trauma sometimes feels like a stain that you can’t get rid of.”

Heidi Racan, a seventh-grader at H.B. duPont Middle School, used her speech to advocate for raising the minimum wage. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour – barely enough to even buy a fast-food meal, she noted – but it would be around $24 if it kept up with inflation.

“Imagine a world where [someone] didn’t have to get three jobs just to be able to give themselves or their kids a life that they deserve,” Racan said.

Niko Edwards, a seventh-grader at Conrad School of Sciences, talked about the discrimination and hate faced by many LGBTQ youth. More than 1.8 million have seriously contemplated suicide, he noted.

“We do not start treating people like human beings until they’re at their breaking point,” Edwards said. “Every 45 seconds, one suicide attempt happens amongst LGBTQ+ youth. Those statistics exist because we as a society don’t treat people like human beings and disregard people for being different.”

Desiree Harris, a seventh-grader at The Bancroft School, personalized her speech about gun violence by recounting the time she witnessed a shooting while walking home from school at age 9.

“I still feel that same fear every time I walk around my neighborhood because of the recent shootings that have occurred,” Harris said. “I don’t want to be one of those children who go to school and have to live in constant fear of being shot during school hours.”

Olivia McGinnes, a seventh-grader at Conrad School of Science, talked about domestic abuse and how many victims hide what they’re going through due to stigma or embarrassment.

“I want you today to go home, or even go to school, and try and recognize someone’s actions and try and help them. Or maybe even yourself,” McGinnes said.