Public Speaking

Public Speaking is open to students in grades two through eight. No previous speech and debate experience is required. Our public speaking courses can be taken stand-alone or as a complement to debate. 

 

All instruction will be virtual. Each week, students will join their instructor and a small group of students for a synchronous lesson over Zoom. Students will be placed into small groups based on their age group to ensure that everyone feels confident and comfortable presenting.

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Throughout the semester, students will work to gain confidence as public speakers, practice and hone their speech writing skills, and develop a new understanding of how to adapt their presentation style to various audiences. Our goal from day one is to get students up and speaking as fast as possible. By the end of the program, students should be able to deliver an impromptu speech, write and deliver a prepared speech that seeks to persuade or inform, and develop their own creative interpretation of a speech written by someone else.