“Imagine wanting to learn but lacking the opportunity to do so? For many, going to school is a given. For others, attaining an education feels like a dream. Children are out of school around the world for different reasons; more often than not those reasons are beyond their control. No matter the reason, children are too often robbed of their right to an education. The more Anna Butler saw this happening, the more she sought to understand why and what to do about it. Over the course of her career Anna has continued to learn from out-of-school-youth around the globe. In her TEDx talk titled, ‘Included Not Ignored’, she shares some of her unique experiences and offers insight into why children are struggling to learn. She advocates that if we are to truly have a conversation about how to address some of the world’s most pressing issues, then out-of-school voices must be a part of the discussion. They deserve a seat at the table, and we should be listening to them – because we will be learning from them. From this talk, Anna hopes to see more institutional partnerships that create inclusive educational opportunities, perhaps via academic scholarships. She would like for discussions of diversity and inclusion to involve the kids that so few talk about. Despite countless obstacles, children still want to learn. An educated society benefits our collective community and so people who wish to continue learning should be supported. Anna feels strongly that children everywhere deserve the opportunity to learn, regardless of circumstance. Her work has focused on creating educational opportunities for youth up against the most unjust of challenges. Our world’s youth matter, they quite literally are the future, and so their voices should absolutely be heard. This TEDx serves as a call for more innovative educational pathways and reminds us that out-of-school youth should be included, not ignored.“
I was invited by TEDxNortheasternU to speak in March 2021. As a featured presenter, I gave a talk titled, “Included Not Ignored” in which I shared lessons learned from out-of-school youth around the globe.
