Sydney+H’s+Final+AmEx+2015+Speech


 * Title of Speech **
 * The New and Improved A-G Requirements **
 * Text of Speech **

In my America, the education system would look very different from how it is now. I think that as students we should have more paths available to take, and to be able to make more decisions that affect our futures. And I’m not talking about getting to choose your electives or whether or not you want to take that fourth year of science. We spend our educational careers confined in a system that takes no account of each individual. All our A - G requirements are basic guidelines that school boards think make sense and suit the largest amount of kids, however neglecting the need of each person is what causes kids to drag through school, bored out of their minds, with no available alternative for those who need something more unique than the standard public school system. I think a large chunk of school should be spent experimenting different career options, interning, volunteering, mission trips, or anything to improve yourself, work towards building your future, or contributing to the community in some way. In this system you would spend grades K-10 completing your general education, year round style. During this time it would cover math, english, science, health, languages, athletics, music, the arts, and so on, allowing students to mature, develop social skills, and have a traditional education before transferring into this new system.

I want everyone to feel like they have options- if they are intellectually curious, they will be encouraged to continue their studies with additional courses. If they are interested in choosing a career path, we would encourage them to experiment by job shadowing at a facility they are curious about for a month. If they find it's not for them, they can move on and explore a different profession. If they do like it, volunteer work or an internship should be made available, as well as taking courses that would strengthen the student to become a prepared candidate for said profession, as well as counting as prerequisites for programs in college. Using a system like this could potentially cut a large amount of classes a student would be taking in college which would dramatically decrease the overall costs. For example, people could become doctors faster with the prerequisites taken care of-therefore less classes to spend money on and the time spent actually becoming a doctor would shorten, debt would lower, and people can get into the job world sooner. Spending less time in college and more time in the real world will allow people to gain experience early in their lives, and could make relatively early retirement a possibility if they start their job early enough. Using a system like this and working together with colleges to help run all of these unique programs will create a well balanced, well rounded education system. This is a rough idea, but my point is to allow students to experiment, make mistakes, and figure out which careers they are most passionate about. This could potentially save a lot of grief down the road. Students will no longer have to toss and turn at night worrying about what they want to do with their lives and praying they don't make the wrong decision. Participating in a process like this will also help students evaluate themselves and determine their strengths and weaknesses, giving them something to be conscious of and a long term goal to work on constantly improving themselves. I want my America to look like this because the amount of stress high school and college students endure in unnecessary. At this age we need to be having fun, expanding our minds, and making connections. With this system I want to reduce the amount of middle aged men and women who are stuck in careers they hate all because of a quick decision they were forced to make when they were a teenager and can no longer go back and change it. I want people to have the opportunity to test out a career that would be way too “risky” in the real world to experiment with. I think there are a lot of careers people are very passionate about but they are unsure on how to approach it, if it's appropriate for their lifestyle, and if its something they could see themselves doing for the next 35 years of their lives. Another positive with this system is that this would definitely give an advantage to those who come from lower income or struggling families. If the student feels they need to go into the job world immediately after graduating high school, this will allow them to get experience, volunteer and intern work, and will help qualify them for jobs above minimum wage. This will open many doors for those who may originally be destined to work at cocos or starbucks all their lives, and could possibly interest some into taking college courses to make themselves an even more competitive candidate for a higher paying job.

I also want my america to have more cultural studies and awareness. If our goal is truly to be a melting pot, don't you think we should be observing all of the cultures we are surrounded with? the cultures, the food, the art, the religion, the music. Diversity is beautiful and should be celebrated everywhere. That is what will bring us together in my america. My system will have study abroad programs and mission trips available to explore the world, take in culture and thrive on a second language- or to be bringing people together through humanitarian work or volunteering. People also come together through expressing their culture that is new to you, or perhaps a religion you both share. I think that most of us say that we want to travel when we’re young, and i want to make that a possibility while still working towards the goal of graduation and moving on to college and careers. Our teenage years should not be confined in the metal gates of the campus you attend. we need to thrive, explore, and want to learn through more hands on methods. I think the quality of education and simply the intelligence of the average student would skyrocket. Although every system has its flaws, this seems like a pretty good one. expensive, albeit, but very effective in creating many options for a wide range of students who all have different needs. Above all, I just want the education system in my america be a fulfilling and enriching experience to all students (and teachers). I want people to feel like the choices they are making uniquely shape their own lives into the way they want to live it.

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