How does the active citizenship model contribute to increased opportunities for student voice?

This mixed-methods, action research project investigates how using the active citizenship model, a branch of service-learning, may lead to an increase in student voice and students self-identifying as a leader. Student voice describes the ability for students to engage authentically with concepts being discussed and develop a sense of confidence in sharing their ideas. Students' perception of themselves as leaders is connected to student voice, as when students feel that their ideas are valued and heard, their capacity to connect to their school and participate in leadership initiatives increases. Using student reflections, discussions, and student work, this research explores how students within a Grade 6/7 classroom context developed their voice and self-perception as a leaders over the course of 4 weeks. Students worked on an open-ended leadership project, using the active-citizenship model, to demonstrate and exercise their ability to share their ideas and enhance their leadership capacity.