Smashing Stereotypes

Smashing Stereotypes

The Youth Speaks competition is an annual public-speaking event designed to support and encourage the development of effective communication.

The competition gives children the valuable experience of speaking as a team member, dealing with a topic in a limited time, formulating their ideas and developing high presentation standards.

Again this year, schools were required to submit video entries, as there are no face-to-face rounds of the competition. The difference this year is that schools have been asked to pose their question for the speaker (usually this question can be one of the trickiest elements of the event, as it is asked by a member of the Rotary team and it, therefore, requires a spontaneous response).

Even though the nature of the question was not a surprise for Gabriel, Archie and Evelyn this year, it did make a considerable difference to their overall presentation. Another thing that helped to create a real sense of occasion was having an actual audience (both live and virtual in the classrooms).

I am delighted with our team’s effort in preparing for this event and their teamwork to produce such a smashing presentation. They made the audience think carefully about their topic of ‘Smashing stereotypes.’