Spencer Chaisanguanthum Featured on Channel Kindness
c/o Born This Way Foundation
Yesterday, Spencer Chaisanguanthum, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Eloquence Academy, was featured on Channel Kindness.
Founded in 2016, Channel Kindness is a digital platform by Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. It aims to act as a safe space for youth to share experiences of overcoming adversity and embodying the values of kindness, resilience, and community. By highlighting the people and organizations that are doing good in their communities, Channel Kindness makes kindness cool, validates the emotions of youth, and eliminates the stigma surrounding mental health, ultimately empowering their audience to take action.
In a self-authored piece, Spencer begins by highlighting his early years in debate; in doing so, he demonstrates that the mission of Eloquence Academy is predicated on channeling his frustrations about the financial inaccessibility of the activity into action. Spencer then describes the day-to-day responsibilities of his role as Chief Executive Officer and several important initiatives, including international school partnerships, the ESL debate program, and the online resource library. Finally, Spencer shares his work as a global nonprofit consultant and social impact leader, concluding that “young people can—and should–use their voices, creativity, and fresh ideas to change the world.”
During Spencer’s tenure, Eloquence Academy has launched all of its existing programs to serve 3,000 students internationally. An outspoken voice for educational equity, Spencer shares his social impact journey across four social media platforms, with 250 posts, 75,000 words, and 1,073,274 impressions. He has cultivated 60 young leaders in early-stage nonprofits, including four debate equity organizations. His mentorship has led to the donation of 30,000 items (hot meals, winter coats, and menstrual health products) and removal of 500 pounds of trash from the ocean, impacting over 15,000 individuals across all 6 inhabitable continents. Previously, Spencer served on the Student Leadership Council of the National Speech & Debate Association, Student Advisory Council of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and collaborated with the United States federal government, the State of New Jersey, and the New York City Department of Education. Spencer has held internships at a number of nonprofit organizations and cultural institutions, including the New-York Historical Society, New York City Council, New York State Supreme Court, and Civics Unplugged.
Read today by visiting Channel Kindness and searching for “The Power of Voice: One Changemaker’s Journey to Making Debate More Equitable.”
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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy has offered live debate programs for 3,000 students, partnerships with 116 schools and nonprofit organizations, and online debate resources for 16,084 students. EA stands as the largest youth-led debate accessibility nonprofit in the world and has prepared students across 50 states and 102 countries for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact. Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
