Public Speaking
In a world where youngsters are often silenced or ignored, it can be extremely difficult to know how to use their voices effectively.
Instead of hearing “I’d be interested to know how you’re feeling? How would you tackle this issue? What can I do to help move your ideas forward?”, young people are often told to “Listen, be respectful, follow directions”.
The impact of this traditional form of engagement only proves to reduce a child’s ability to successfully advocate on their own behalf.
People who self-advocate are able to ask for the support they need, stand up against injustices and seek positive change in their environments. Youth with self-advocacy skills demonstrate positive identity development, higher self-esteem, greater social connections, more leadership qualities and enhanced planning and problem solving abilities.
Early training is imperative to develop the cognitive skills needed to be an effective self-advocate. And being able to practise and refine these skills will serve youth now and in the future.
However, speaking up can be complicated. It encompasses a linguistic challenge (WHAT exactly to say), an objective challenge (WHY they should say it), and a social challenge (WHO they should say it to). This combination can make what sounds like a simple task actually very difficult when feeling at a loss for words, fearing to disagree or having to confront authority.
We aim to give young people a platform where their voice matters. Public speaking promotes confidence, critical thinking and cultural understanding. It broadens horizons and creates opportunities to make sense of a world in flux.
At 4Voices, we believe in affirming youngsters’ sense of personal value. A place where anyone can say with confidence, “I have something of value to say, I am worth being listened to, I am worth being known, and I intend to be heard”.
4Voices provides positive, nurturing and comprehensive training on public speaking, delivered both in-person and online. We specialise in small group and private personalised coaching to develop public speaking and social communication skills.
Our fun and interactive sessions have been proven to help youth increase class participation, organise thoughts, face interviews, raise reading and writing levels, develop social skills, meet like-minded people, become leaders, and build confidence in who they are and what they have to say.