Nearly 300 speech teachers, students and family members came out for an evening of fun and awards at the UFT Speech Improvement Chapter’s eighth annual Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration at UFT headquarters on May 14.

More than 80 students and their teachers received awards for projects — ranging from posters to poems to videos — that explain what they do in speech therapy and what it means to them. Projects were selected for their creativity and thoughtfulness.

A smaller group of teachers also received awards for community service and contributions they had made to speech language pathology through academic papers, presentations to colleagues, the creation of innovative programs and other ways.

One student, expressing his enthusiasm for speech class, described it as “a special subject.” “I like speech so much, it’s better than class,” another said to loud laughter. Two friends who stutter also gave moving remarks on the process of overcoming their fears and “gaining confidence” in their ability to speak.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew spoke about the “vital service” that speech therapists provide.

“We should celebrate the special things that happen each and every day in our school buildings across the city,” he said.

Speech Improvement Chapter Leader Mindy Karten Bornemann said that the purpose of the student competition is to celebrate the students’ work as well as challenge them to demonstrate their skills and progress in speech.

Bornemann said the event “reflected how wonderful our speech therapists and students are and the great work that they are doing together.” She also thanked the event’s organizers, including committee co-chairs Katherine Lewis and Brenda Caquais and members Lorina Allert, Ava Geddis, Maria DeCandia, Jennifer Knight, Danita Susi and Margaret Rise, for their hard work that helped make the event “the stupendous night that it was.”

The students’ award-winning projects were on display in the lobby of union headquarters through June 5.

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