What is VoiceBox?

VoiceBox is a national joke telling competition for primary school children developed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), designed to raise awareness of the fun and importance of communication. It will offer schools across Scotland a light-hearted and inclusive way for pupils to develop their communication skills and build their confidence and self-esteem.

What will happen?

  • We are inviting all primary schools in Scotland to enter one joke into the competition during spring term 2024. Schools can do this by supporting an individual pupil who wants to take part, or by holding a joke-telling competition in school to find their best entry
  • Schools need to submit their chosen joke by 1 April 2024 (not April Fools!) and our judging panel will shortlist the 32 best jokes they receive – 1 finalist from each local authority area
  • 32 finalists will be invited to the Scottish Parliament on 6 June 2024 to tell their jokes in front of MSPs and a judging panel. The top three finalists with the winning jokes will receive individual prizes as well as a prize for their school.

Why take part in VoiceBox?

Communication is a fundamental skill. It has the most profound and positive impact on our lives and contributes to our social and emotional development, behaviour, learning and educational attainment. It also impacts on how we interact with other people, how we understand them and, in turn, how we are understood.

Some important points about communication:

  • Every child has a basic right to communicate and they should be supported to do so
  • All children need support to build their communication skills and confidence and some need additional specialist help to speak and understand what is being said to them
  • One in four children in Scotland have a speech, language or communication need
  • Communication difficulties can limit a child’s participation in school, social and family life
  • Speech and language therapists work with children to support their speech, language and communication needs, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Improving children’s communication skills is everyone’s business. Get involved with VoiceBox and help make a difference to children’s lives.

Got a question? Email us at voicebox@rcslt.org.