VoiceUp

VoiceUp is an organization that hosts public-speaking events designed to educate UCLA students about human psychology and debunk common misconceptions about psychology prevalent in contemporary society. This will be done through a TED-Styled format, mainly anecdotal narratives and storytelling from the perspectives of psychology students, researchers, professors, and innovators in the field. What distinguishes us from most events, is that more than simply hosting events for the audience to “attend”, we strive to create a conversation between the audience and the speakers, where the speakers can not only interact with the audience, but the audience can also ask questions to speakers in the form of a panel discussion towards the end of the event. Through these conversations, VoiceUp seeks to break down the stigmas students have towards mental disorders, cognition, and other psychology topics relevant to students throughout their university lives. It also provides a networking opportunity for students to get to know professionals within the psychology field, thus creating an intellectual discussion for the UCLA audience. Founded and led by Phipson Lee, a current sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles, VoiceUp has held annual conference and youth summits for 5 years in Hong Kong, working closely with organisations including (but not limited to) KELY Support Group, Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, Amnesty International Hong Kong, Y-Talk, and Hong Kong English Schools Foundation. Having cooperated with more than 15 local and international schools in Hong Kong, VoiceUp had been awarded the Bowdoin Book Prize for Innovation and Creativity in 2015. With Phipson's departure from Hong Kong to UCLA, the organization is currently administered by Matthew Chiu and Maisha Maryam, middle school students studying at the Renaissance College of Hong Kong. Consequently, Phipson is managing both the Hong Kong branch and is looking to initiate the project at UCLA. The underlying vision for VoiceUp is to raise awareness about mental health, educate university students about realistic strategies to develop themselves psychologically, and create a platform that allows them to share their stories and ideas in a safe, impactful manner. With recent issues pertaining to suicide rates, education, and more, our content have allowed youths to speak and inform other adolescents, empowering one another and building a support network. We have also invited guest professionals who have offered insight and professional resources to realistically improve psychological awareness.

http://voiceup.wixsite.com/voiceup
voiceuptalk@gmail.com

Signatories: Cheuk Yin Phipson Lee, Jenny Cabello, and Valda Han

Advisor: Kristopher Kaupalolo