PEORIA, Ill. — A Bradley University senior is aiming to improve education for high school freshman and sophomore Black and Latinx students in Peoria through a new program that uses competitive speech called SpeechFluent.
Karen Fragoso says she aims to assure that marginalized students receive access to a program that will further their education after Peoria was named one of the worst towns for Black people by 247 Wall St.
“The point of the program is to help at-risk low-income students get active in some sort of art education,” she said. “Statistics of art education have shown to improve student’s overall experience as students.”
Fragoso says students in these programs are more engaged and more active in after-school activities. Being in speech programs also improves the likelihood of graduating high school.
According to Fragoso, research shows “implementing the arts through dramatic performances” causes an increase in SAT scores as well as GPA as high as 8.5% and 15%, respectively.
SpeechFluent is partnered with ART Inc. with a hope to end the cycle of poverty “by instilling confidence, discipline and creating an outlet for emotional release for Peoria’s Black and Latinx students.”
The program will utilize Bradley University’s nationally renowned Speech Team to mentor high school freshmen and sophomores that enroll in the program.
Fragoso says students having these speech mentors will help them become disciplined, organized and well-spoken. It will also help them understand where they come from and the struggles they face, she says.
Having students enrolled in competitive speech at a younger age also helps students think deeper and more critically.
SpeechFluent, Fragoso says, will allow Black students to close the gap between them and non-Black students.
“There is a gap in education,” she said. “Non-Black students are more likely to graduate, have more access to higher education programs and after-school programs.
“This program allows those students to close that gap and level the playing field with their non-Black peers.”
Fragoso says she has seen the transformation that speech brings to people through her own eyes when she saw her college friends become involved in speech at Bradley University.
“I really want to help people from Peoria who are disadvantaged to have that upbringing and be shaped into great adults,” said Fragoso.
The link to sign up for the Nov. 29 Zoom call can be found HERE.
Full interview with Karen Fragoso:
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