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Delicia Raveenthrarajan is a motivational speaker and activist. Delicia has a strong fervor for social justice and is an active volunteer internationally as well as a passionate motivational speaker. Delicia’s public speaking journey started at a very early age but she started pursuing speaking professionally at the age of 12 in 2013. Delicia’s experience ranges from her work with ME to WE, to schools, universities and places of work, to conferences, summits and events. Delicia has worked across North America and around the world in order to share her story and advocate for young people.
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TOPICS
MENTAL HEALTH
Delicia has worked as a mental health speaker since 2016. What started as a few small conversations in her community about ending the stigma, soon turned into an international platform to share her story with young people, educators, parents, policy makers, and fellow advocates. In addition to speaking, Delicia has incorporated workshops and panels and trainings into her advocacy. In 2017, she began publishing articles on youth mental health and well-being with platforms such as Teen Vogue and soon after collaborated with WE on the launch of their WE Well-Being Program.
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Mental Health 101: General Awareness
Youth Mental Health and Well-Being: Student and Youth Audiences Mental Health and Culture: An Exploration of the Nuances of Mental Health in Immigrant/Non-Western Communities. |
Mental Health and Policy
Mental Health in Educational Settings: An Educator and Admin Focus on Student Well-Being Well-Being in Advocacy and Activism: An Authentic Reflection of Navigating Well-Being in Social Justice and Advocacy Work |
SOCIAL JUSTICE, ACTIVISM, AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
With a passion for ongoing learning and action in the area of social justice and activism, Delicia is a firm believer in the power of individual action, youth empowerment, and mobilization. Reflecting a combination of personal actions and holding larger systems accountable, she hopes to speak authentically about how "doing the work" looks on the ground.
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Finding Your Spark: Youth Empowerment and Taking Action
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Don't Be Afraid to Care: What Taking Action Looks Like in Our Current Realities
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EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ANTI-RACIST PRACTICE
As a child of immigrants and a young woman of colour, Delicia often found it difficult to see herself in others who held positions of leadership or who had platforms where they shared their voices. Determined to rewrite that narrative, she tried to carve out seats for herself at tables in which she knew she was not traditionally welcomed. Along the way, she grappled with the intersections of her identity as a person of colour and a child of immigrants, and a young person who was born and raised in Canada. Developing a more critical lens and sharing her lived experience, Delicia hopes to take action in dismantling oppressive systems and rebuilding a more inclusive environment.
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Unlearn, Learn: Allyship, Intersectionality and Anti-Racist Practice
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Anti-Racist Practice in Arts Leadership
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About "Your Student With a Story"
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This video is based off Delicia's "Letter to a High School Teacher From an A+ Student with a Mental Illness," penned to educators that she has crossed paths with. As a high functioning student, dealing with mental health challenges, Delicia often faced roadblocks in the education system due to stigma and a lack of education and adequate resources. Subsequently, she turned her frustrations and challenges into a story that would help those around her better understand her realities. This letter was later published, acting as a resource and example for educators who work with students on a daily basis, all of whom have their own stories. After seeing the journey of her letter come to life, Delicia worked in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board in order to turn her letter into a video, telling her story and asking educators to go forward with an open heart and mind.
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"Speaker and advocate Delicia Raveenthrarajan shares her personal strategies for improving well-being."
- WE WELL-BEING (WE.ORG) |