ISTAR, Institute for Stuttering Treatment & Research, University of Alberta

04/09/2026

How was your spring break? A lot can happen in just a few weeks! Jamie's story shows that a summer break (or spring break) can be the start of big changes and new confidence. Great work Jamie, we are proud of you!

For most of his life, Jamie Tyrrell had plenty to say. The challenge was getting the words out; Jamie has lived with a stutter since he first began speaking. As he grew older, the impact went beyond speech.

04/02/2026

Congratulations on winning ISTAR's March contest, Lazar! Those are some of our favorite activities too ❤️

04/01/2026

and

04/01/2026

Our April contest has now begun! 'Share a piece of advice you'd give a person who stutters who is considering ISTAR' - reply here or email us at istar@ualberta.ca with your message, drawing or recording to enter to win a $25 gift card! More details at https://bit.ly/istar40years

03/23/2026

Congratulations Linkin, the February winner of the ISTAR 40th anniversary contest! We agree that patience and turn taking is very important and we are happy that you could learn from your stutter.
Entries for the March contest are currently open - "Tell us about a favourite activity or transfer at ISTAR " enter by March 31st (email istar@ualberta.ca with your entry, or comment on our March contest post)

03/16/2026

Congratulations Evan on winning our January contest for ISTAR's 40th anniversary! We hope you enjoy your $25 prize. Entries for the March contest are currently open - "Tell us about a favourite activity or transfer at ISTAR " enter by March 31st.

03/02/2026

Our March contest is live! 'Tell us your favourite activity or transfer at ISTAR' - reply here or email us at istar@ualberta.ca with your message, drawing or recording to enter to win a $25 gift card! More details at https://bit.ly/istar40years

02/09/2026

Stuttering and the Bilingual Child. READ MORE: https://www.stutteringhelp.org/stuttering-and-bilingual-child

02/02/2026

Wow, it's February already! That means it's time for another monthly prompt for our '40 Years of ISTAR Contest.'

To enter, just comment below or email your response to istar@ualberta.ca for the following prompt: "Tell us one thing stuttering has given you or helped you with" by February 28th. Your entry can be a message, recording (30 seconds is great), photo or drawing.

All entries & memories are welcome, but prize winners must be located in Canada for fulfillment purposes.

**Also, we are extending the deadline for the January prompt for 1 week until February 6th. Stay tuned for the January winner announcement - but get your entries in quick!

01/21/2026

Are you ready to celebrate with us? Let's kick things off with a contest to celebrate ISTAR's 40th anniversary in 2026. 🎉 Every month we will have a new prompt and want to hear from you! Monthly prizes of $25 gift cards (winner chooses from a list of major bookstores, retailers, cafes, and similar).

To enter, just email your response to istar@ualberta.ca for the following prompt: "Share your favourite memory from your time with ISTAR" by January 31st. Your entry can be a message, recording, photo or drawing.

All entries & memories are welcome, but prize winners must be located in Canada for fulfillment purposes.

01/09/2026

If you are setting goals for the year, or thinking ahead - it's a great time to get support from ISTAR. Our group refresher and intensive dates for 2026 are open. We'd love to have you join us! The list of group dates can be found at https://bit.ly/ISTARsessions or email us any time

12/23/2025

Wishing you a warm and well-loved holiday break! May you enjoy your time with family and be ready to face a new year and new goals in 2026. ISTAR will be closed from December 25th to January 4th, we will reply to all messages once we are back in the office.