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## That’s why we’ve created Next Voice.

Next Voice is an online platform for teens in the US, where you can see what others across the nation are saying about the issues that matter to you and so you can take action.
 
Whether you want to learn to write and speak powerfully about causes you care about, find allies and organizations with decision-making power, or start a community, we’re here for you.
 
You can trust us to help you:
 
-  Find and understand unbiased, credible information.
-  Learn what other people your age are saying about issues you care about - like climate change, life after high school, mental health, racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and gender equality.
-  Develop the skills you’ll need to make an impact.
-  Find resources you can use to put your voice into action.
 
You have the power to make a difference and to create change.

## Your voice matters.

 
**About American Student Assistance**
 
 American Student Assistance (ASA) is a national non-profit organization that’s passionate about giving you, and all teens, helpful tools to learn about possible education paths and careers you’ll love. We know that planning for your future is a lot to take on. But we’ll give you all the information to allow you to explore all the options and make the best choice for you, no matter your goals, interests and needs.
 
We’ve got you.

About

Get the tools and resources you need to make a difference in topics you care about.

Develop the skills you need to make change and learn how to participate in your community.

See trending issues across the U.S. and learn what people are saying about Mental Health, Life After School, and more.

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Last Modified: March 11, 2024

## Introduction

Massachusetts Higher Education Assistance Corporation, d/b/a American Student Assistance® (“**ASA**” or “**we**” or “**us**”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this privacy policy (“**Policy**”).

This Policy describes the types of information we may directly or indirectly collect from you or receive from you when you use our services, including [Next Voice](https://nextvoice.asa.org/), [Futurescape](https://futurescape.asa.org/), and [EvolveMe](https://evolveme.asa.org/) (the “**Services**”), including any page, functionality or feature, and all content, information, links and other materials (“**Materials**”) made available on or through the Services. For certain Services, you may be able to accumulate points (“**Points**”) by engaging with Materials and third-party services made available on or through our Services (including on websites of our third-party partners) (such Materials and third-party services, “**Experiences**”). For clarity, this Policy does not apply to information collected by any third-party website(s) or service(s) that you may access or otherwise intentionally interact with on or off of our Services. The handling of the collection, use, and disclosure of information about you in such circumstances can be found in the privacy policies governing those third-party websites or services.

We may aggregate or de-identify information described in this Policy. Aggregate or de-identified information that we do not attempt to re-identify is not subject to this Policy.

As described in greater detail below, this policy applies to information we collect:
- In the course of providing the Services; and
- In any email(s), text(s), and other electronic messages that we send or receive from you in relation to the Services.

Please read this Policy carefully to understand our practices in relation to your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with this Policy, you may choose not to use the Services. By accessing or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

This Policy may change from time to time (see “Changes to Our Privacy Policy” at the end of this Policy). Your continued use of the Services after we make changes represents your acceptance of those changes.

 

## Children Under the Age of 13

We designed the Services to avoid collecting personal information from children under 13 years of age, and therefore do not knowingly collect personal information from children who identify as being under 13 years of age. If you are under 13 years of age, do not register on the Services, do not use any of the interactive features of the Services, and do not provide any personal information about yourself including your name, address, telephone number, email address, or any screen name or user name you may use. If we learn that we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13 years of age without parental consent, we will delete that information in accordance with applicable law. If you believe that we might have collected personal information from or about a child under 13 years of age, please contact us as soon as possible at [support@accounts.asa.org](mailto:support@accounts.asa.org).

## Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We may collect several types of information from or about you when you use the Services, including:
- Information by which you may be personally identified, such as your name, date of birth, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be identified or contacted online or offline;
- Information you voluntarily provide, such as gender or ethnicity;
- Information about your activity when using our Services, such as pages visited, links clicked on, Experiences completed, Points accumulated, rewards redeemed, duration of your usage of the Services, and other usage details; and
- Information about your internet connection and the device(s) you use to access the Services.

We collect this information in two ways:
- Directly from you when you provide it to us; and
- Automatically as you use the Services. Information collected automatically may include usage details and IP addresses, as well as information collected through application program interfaces (“APIs”), cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies, as further detailed below.

### Information You Provide to Us

The information we collect from you on or through the Services may include:
- Information that you provide when using the Services, including information that you provide at the time you register to use an ASA-operated website. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the Services;
- Information you provide to us to participate in contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions on or through the Services, such as your name, age, contact details, and parent/guardian contact details; 
- Records and copies of communications between you and ASA (including email addresses) if you contact us; and
- Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes.

### _Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies_

As you navigate through and interact with the Services, we, and our partners and vendors, may use automatic data collection technologies to collect and analyze certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, Experiences completed, Points accumulated , rewards redeemed, and usage patterns, including:
- Details of your visits to a website when using the Services, including traffic data, URL source, generalized location data based on IP address, logs, and other communication data, and the resources that you access and use on the Services; and
- Information about your device(s) and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.

The information we collect automatically helps us to deliver and provide better and more personalized Services, including by enabling us to:
- Track the completion of Experiences, Points accumulated, and rewards redeemed (as applicable);
- Estimate our audience size and usage patterns;
- Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize the Services according to your individual interests;
- Speed up your searches; and
- Recognize you when you return to the Services.

The technologies we and our partners and vendors use to carry out such automatic data collection may include:
- _Application Program Interfaces (“APIs”)_. To track your completion of Experiences on third-party sites, we assign a user ID to you and related information, which is communicated back to us through an API so that we can record completion of such Experiences, allocate Points, and enable you to redeem rewards when eligible. We also use APIs in coordination with our third-party service providers to enable you to participate in contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions on or through the Services. 
- _Cookies (or browser cookies)_. A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer that allows us to understand how users interact with the Services. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting, you may not be able to access certain parts of the Services. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to the Services
- _Tracking Pixels_. The Services may contain embedded HTML code snippets that enable ASA to measure the performance of advertising and marketing campaigns carried out on third-party websites and services; and
- _Web Beacons_. The Services may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit ASA, for example, to count users who have visited those pages and analyze other related statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain content and verifying system and server integrity).

We retain personal information pursuant to our records retention program for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted under applicable law or is needed to resolve disputes or protect our legal rights. For example, we may retain certain personal information for an additional period of time to prevent, protect against, detect, and respond to incidents of fraud on the Services. 

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, for the following purposes:
- To present and provide you with access to the Services, including to verify your account
or provide interactive features, where applicable;
- To recognize you across our Services, including when you use multiple devices or accounts; 
- To track the completion of Experiences and Points accumulated on the Services;
- To enable the redemption of rewards (as applicable);
- To enable you to participate in contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions on or through the Services, including by verifying your age to ensure you are eligible to enter for a drawing under the applicable Terms of Use, and to contact you and/or your parent or guardian in the event that your entry is selected;
- To evaluate the use, results, and effectiveness of our Services;
- To provide you with information or other services that you request from us;
- To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it;
- To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising out of this Policy, the Terms of Use, which are accessible here ([Terms & Conditions](/terms)), and any other legal terms applicable to use of the Services;
- To notify you about changes to the Services;
- To protect the rights, property, or safety of ASA, our customers, or others;
- To prevent, protect against, detect, and respond to incidents of fraud on the Services; 
- To measure the performance of our advertising and marketing campaigns, including through third-party websites and services;
- In any other way we may describe when you provide the information; and
- For any other purpose with your consent.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose information without restriction that does not identify an individual, including information in aggregated or de-identified form. This may include aggregated information gathered via cookies, web beacons, and tracking pixels.

We may disclose personal information that we collect for the following purposes:
- To vendors, contractors, and other third parties that support us in providing the Services and who are bound by contract to keep personal information confidential and use it only for the business purposes for which we disclose it to them;
- To third parties that provide a feature, functionality or service that you have otherwise requested;
- To fulfill the purpose(s) for which you provided it;
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information;
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request;
- To enforce or apply this Policy, the Terms of Use, or any other terms that apply to the use of the Services;
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of ASA, our customers, or others;
- As part of a change in business structure or ownership of ASA, we may disclose personal information to the buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of ASA’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by ASA about users of the Services is among the assets transferred; and
- For any other purpose with your consent.

We do not sell your personal information, nor does ASA display any targeted advertising on ASA-operated websites.

ASA does share data with advertising service providers to measure the performance of our advertising and marketing campaigns on other websites, apps, or services, including on Facebook, Snapchat, various Google services, and other social networks.

Per the above, please note that we use our best efforts and take multiple steps to avoid the collection of information for targeted advertising purposes from children under 13 years of age, including by prohibiting children under 13 years of age from creating a user profile on the Services. In addition, we prohibit access to certain areas of the Services by children under 13 years of age in this Policy.

## Personal Information Rights

Applicable law may recognize certain rights in relation to personal information, including the right to access, correct, or delete personal information, restrict the processing of personal information (including sensitive personal information, as applicable), and data portability, among others.

You can review and update your personal information by logging into the Services and visiting your account profile page. You may also send us an email at [support@accounts.asa.org](mailto:support@accounts.asa.org) to exercise rights applicable to your personal information, or to have an authorized agent do so on your behalf. We will respond to such requests in accordance with applicable law, and we may request further information from you to verify your identity and/or verify the identity of your authorized agent (as well as confirm their authority to act on your behalf). We may not accommodate a request if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement, cause the information to be incorrect, or otherwise is subject to an applicable exception under law. We will inform you in accordance with applicable law if we do not accommodate your request. You may have the right to appeal our determination under local law, which can also be exercised by contacting us at [support@accounts.asa.org](mailto:support@accounts.asa.org). We will not discriminate against you when you exercise personal information rights.

## Data Transfers

As set out in our [Terms of Use](/terms), our Services are strictly for use by and solely directed to persons located in the United States. If you are not in the United States, YOU MAY NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICES. If you access or use the Services from outside the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

## Data Security

We have implemented industry-standard security technologies, procedures, and organizational measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and or unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. If you choose or are provided with a username, a password, or any other information as part of our security procedures, you must keep that information confidential and not disclose it to any other person or entity. You may not provide any other person with access to the Services or portions of it using your user name, password, or other security information. You are responsible for all activity occurring under your account or with use of your username and password.

You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to or use of your username or password, or any other breach of security of which you become aware. You may report unauthorized access by sending an email to [support@accounts.asa.org](mailto:support@accounts.asa.org).

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to the Services. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Services.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may revise and/or update this Policy from time to time in our sole discretion. The date this Policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will notify users with an account by email to the email address specified in your account. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address where we can reach you if you have an account, and for periodically visiting the Services and this Policy to check for any changes, regardless of whether you have an account or not.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this Policy and our privacy practices, or to register a complaint or concern, contact us at [support@accounts.asa.org](mailto:support@accounts.asa.org).

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

You are under
13 years old

A large crowd, like a school committee meeting

Who do you want to talk with?

Speak

Remotely by Zoom or another video call platform

How will you be speaking?

Speaking directly with a public or government official, who has influence or decision-making authority over your issue of concern, can be one of the most direct routes for bringing about change.
Here are some ground rules to follow to make sure your interaction is a success:

A government official or any figure of authority:

A peer

Make a list of talking points beforehand. Try to anticipate questions and formulate responses before your meeting.

Prepare, prepare, prepare

Determine the goal of your meeting beforehand. Is the purpose of the meeting to just make them aware of an issue, or do you want them to take a specific action?

Make sure your “ask” is clear

Be sure to thank them for taking the time to meet.

Thank them

Tell your story and how the issue affects you personally (if applicable), or your family, friends or community. Provide examples.

Be authentic

If you’re not sure of the answer to a question, let them know you’ll have to get back to them. Follow up in a timely manner.

Be truthful

Speaking to an individual (in person) tips

Study up on where the official stands on your issue (e.g., their comments in the news, actions taken, votes on specific legislation, etc.)

Do your research

Stick to your talking points. You’ll probably only have a 10-20 minute meeting.

Be brief and focused

You may be assigned a meeting with a member of the official’s staff, rather than directly with the official. The staffer will probably specialize in your issue of concern and be knowledgeable on the topic.

Expect to meet with a staffer

Government officials and staffers often schedule meetings back-to-back and will have limited time, so don’t be late!

Be on time

Determine the goal of your meeting beforehand. Is the purpose of the meeting to just make the official aware of an issue, or do you want them to take a specific action?

Be sure to thank them for taking the time to meet and for any action they may have taken in the past on your issue, if applicable.

Thank the official/staffer

Before the meeting ends, make sure you understand what needs to happen next, whether that’s when you can expect a response or action from the official, or when you’ll follow up with requested information.

Set clear expectations for the next steps

Send a personal thank you letter or email to the official.

Follow up

Speaking directly with a public or government official who has influence or decision-making authority over your issue of concern can be one of the most direct routes to bringing about change. 
Here are some important ground rules to follow to make sure your interaction is a success:

Speaking to an individual (virtually) tips

Gauging your audience’s reaction can be difficult virtually, as some people may have their cameras turned off or they may tend to not react as much as they would in person. In these instances, trust that your audience is with you and be confident they’re interested in what you have to say!

Be confident

If your computer supports it, use a virtual background but remember to keep it professional.

Check your lighting and background

It can be hard to know where to look when speaking virtually. If you’re speaking live, you can choose to look at your computer’s camera or the eyes of your audience. If recording, look directly into your computer’s webcam.

Pick a focal point

Stick to your talking points. You’ll probably only have a 10-20 minutes meeting.

A government official:

Any other figure of authority:

Study up on where they stand on your issue. E.g. their comments in the news, actions taken, votes on specific legislation, etc.  And you want to make sure the person you’re speaking to has the decision-making power to enact change for your topic.

Be sure your post contains accurate information about your topic, as these officials are often experts in knowing the dialogue around a particular issue.

Be factual

Your posts directed to a person in authority will live on and be public forever, so make sure your tone is respectful and invites a response back that’s also polite and productive. Many officials may have staffers reading through posts from the public, so you want to make sure your post is well-written and courteous.

Be polite

Your post will be public, so other people may see your post and reply, comment, like or dislike, etc. Be purposeful in how you reply (if you choose to reply) to other people beyond just the official.

Be prepared for other responses

Thank them for their response and acknowledge that you’ve read their reply. Provide the next steps to keep the conversation going, or provide an example for how you’ve taken their advice and put it into action.

If you get a response, thank them

A peer:

Be sure your post contains accurate information about your topic.

Your posts will live on and be public forever, so make sure your tone is respectful and invites a response back that’s also polite and productive. And ensure any ongoing dialogue is courteous.

Your post will be public, so other folks may see your post and reply, comment, like or dislike, etc. Be purposeful in how you reply (if you choose to reply) to other folks beyond just your intended peer.

Thank your peer for their response and acknowledge that you’ve read their reply. Provide next steps to keep the conversation going or provide an example for how you’ve taken their advice and put it into action.

Speaking to / corresponding with an individual via social media

Study up on where they stand on your issue (e.g., their comments in the news, actions taken, votes on specific legislation, etc.)

Your posts directed to an official will live on and be public forever. So make sure your tone is respectful and invites a response back that’s also polite and productive. Many officials may have staffers reading through posts from the public, so you want to make sure your post is well-written and courteous.

Thank the official for their response and acknowledge that you’ve read their reply. Provide the next steps to keep the conversation going, or provide an example for how you’ve taken their advice and put it into action.

Speaking directly with a public or government official who has influence or decision-making authority over your issue of concern can be one of the most direct routes to bringing about change.
Here are some important ground rules to follow to make sure your interaction is a success:

Speaking to a group (in person) tips

Officials often schedule meetings back-to-back and will have limited time, so don’t be late!

Determine the goal of your meeting beforehand. Is the purpose of the meeting to just make the officials aware of an issue, or do you want them to take a specific action?

Thank the officials

What would you like the audience to learn or understand from your speech? Write a concise, clear, and focused message that you would like to present and build your talking points to support your message.

Work on your message

Write out what you would like to say and how you would like to say it. Write down any questions people could ask and think about what your responses would be.

Be prepared

Decide whether you need slides or resources to share and have everything prepped ahead of your speech.

Have the right materials

Once you have prepared your talking points and materials, go over them again and again to get comfortable. Practice for others and get feedback so you can change and adapt your presentation.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

As you practice, record yourself and watch it back. Watch your body language, whether you have filler words (like “um” or “yeah”), and your tone and pace.

Record yourself

As your present, slow down what you are saying. Build natural pauses in your talking points.

Slow down your word pace

Review your script and materials and make sure they reflect you. Add a creative twist to your presentation, to either hook the audience in from the get-go or keep them invested.

Be creative

One way to improve your own public speaking is to watch others who are masters at their craft. By watching different talented speakers, you can see how each person gets their message across, hooks in their audiences, and maintains their individual identity. TED Talks are a great resource for watching public speakers.

Watch other public speakers

Before the meeting ends, make sure you understand what needs to happen next, whether that’s when you can expect a response or action, or when you’ll follow up with requested information.

Public speaking is challenging. Give yourself credit for delving into the skill. Remember, the audience is on your side and wants you to succeed. The more you practice and make mistakes, the more you will grow.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

A group of officials:

A group of classmates:

To a large group:

Speaking to a group (virtually) tips

Keep a list of ongoing ideas to speak on, so you can get your message across consistently and often.

Always search for new ideas

Pay attention to the followers who are tuning into your posts and live stories so you can tailor your message and make sure it speaks to them.

Understand your audience

Practice any social media posts of live stories where you will be speaking. Practice getting your message across.

Make sure your area is adequately lit. If your computer supports it, use a virtual background.

Check your surroundings

Popular influencers are great storytellers. But remember, a “story” doesn’t mean it should be false or made up. Be truthful and think about how you can bring some of yourself and your own stories to your social media speaking.

Engage in storytelling and be authentic

In order to increase and maintain your followers, it’s important to maintain a positive and engaging presence. Record yourself and watch your body language to ensure a positive presence. Make sure you smile, make eye contact, stand up straight and keep your arms and legs relaxed. And don’t fold your arms!

Practice positive body language

If you’re doing a live story or post, interact with the audience as they tune in. Mention them by name and respond to their questions and comments. Before you go live, think about the questions that may be asked and practice your responses.

Interact with your live audience

Read comments and direct messages to get an idea of what followers are interested in. But be careful… sometimes too much feedback is a bad thing and overwhelmingly bad feedback is unnecessary. It’s also okay to ignore feedback when it becomes too much. When that happens, turn to your own close network for ideas and feedback.

Pay attention to feedback… to an extent

Think about the goal of your speech. What do you want the audience to do afterwards? Give clear instructions on next steps, whether that’s researching an issue more on their own, contacting a government official, etc.

End with a call to action or leaving thought

It’s ok if your recording or live stream is brief. In fact, brief is often better! If you’re speaking on a complex issue, it might be best to break up your speech into separate parts or follow-up posts that address different aspects of the issue.

Plan a follow-up

Speaking to a group via social media

Study up on where the officials stand on your issue. E.g. their comments in the news, actions taken, votes on specific legislation, etc.

Make a list of talking points beforehand. Practice any social media posts of live stories where you will be speaking. Practice getting your message across.

Make sure your area is adequately lit. If your computer supports it, use a virtual background but remember to keep it professional.

Government officials:

Any other figures of authority:

Peers:

Speaking to a crowd (in person) tips

Speaking to a crowd (virtually) tips

As you prepare for a speaking opportunity, think about who you’ll be speaking to. When speaking to adults, such as policymakers, teachers and family members, your speech should have a different tone than when speaking to other young people.

Consider your audience

Speaking to a crowd via social media

Public Speaking is a nerve-wracking experience. But it’s an important skill when advocating for yourself and others. With a little practice and preparation, you can develop strong public speaking skills for any audience! 

Here are some tips:

Speaking virtually or remotely, such as via Zoom or Skype, is now a way of life, whether it’s for school, a job or personal interactions with friends and family members. Presenting or speaking remotely to multiple people, though, comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some tips to becoming a pro at virtual public speaking:

Tips on Virtual Speaking

Public Speaking Tips

Some of the best speakers are the most charismatic. Pay attention to and practice your body language, which is a great way to work on calming your nerves. Make eye contact with your audience, instead of reading from a script, and smile!