As students today work to acquire the skills they need to succeed in life, many of them struggle with traumatic events and systemic issues that can have damaging and long-lasting effects. Inspired by his own hardships, Tyree Hughey has sought to reach and empower these students through literacy and trauma recovery.
An accomplished author and illustrator, with citations from Connecticut state representatives and recognition from the 100 Men of Color Awards, Tyree founded The Voice of the Youth to broaden his advocacy in education. The Voice of the Youth app is a powerful new tool for educators and all who support his mission. Through the use of culturally responsive storytelling, AI-powered education, and social-emotional learning supports, the Voice of the Youth app is designed to empower students to build a better and more just future.
Inspired to Make a Difference
The founding of The Voice of the Youth stemmed from Tyree's personal journey and hardships. He grew invested in domestic violence advocacy after surviving domestic violence himself. He sought to enact systemic change through trauma-informed education that would target how these issues arise and give power back to survivors. His passion for teaching was sparked by his daughter, Kenzie, and watching her grow up in a society that still maintains systemic injustices.
Today, Tyree uses his skills as an accomplished author and illustrator to create culturally responsive literature. He additionally leads programs that emphasize culturally responsive literacy, social-emotional learning, mental health, and trauma recovery. Through initiatives such as The Voice of the Youth app, he hopes to promote a more racially just world and empower students to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Features for Empowered Learning
The Voice of the Youth app sets itself apart from other educational platforms through its focus on culturally responsive storytelling. Students will find story features that speak to real-world experiences of social inequities and the advocacy efforts
made to address them.
Another unique factor is the app's integration of AI-powered storytelling and voice recognition tools. As Tyree believes in the potential of AI in education, this app employs powerful personalized learning technology to provide a more responsive experience for users.
Along with storytelling features, the app provides social-emotional learning tools and supports, such as journaling and restorative justice circles. These techniques can allow students to deepen their understanding of difficult subjects while addressing their emotional needs and those of their peers.
In addition to support for students, the app includes teacher management tools. These allow for real-time classroom customization. While integrating this app into their lesson plans, educators can tailor features to meet the needs of their students and their curricula.
Striving to Make an Impact
In introducing this app into classrooms across the country, Tyree hopes it will carry a broader impact on addressing the ongoing literacy crisis that is reported by NBC News and other news sources. Beyond giving students the literacy skills they need to succeed, its emphasis on social and emotional growth and trauma-informed education is designed to break the systemic cycles disrupting the lives of the nation's youth, such as ongoing equity gaps and the failures of the school systems that create a school-to-prison pipeline.
Support The Voice of The Youth
Tyree's vision for the future includes introducing further literacy apps, creative ventures, and plans for blending empowering art initiatives into today's schools. His work can be followed on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
If you would like to support his mission of empowering youth through socially and emotionally informed education, consider engaging with the Voice of the Youth app and discover what it can do for the students in your life.
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