Although
membership in Toastmasters can begin at age 18, there is a wonderful
opportunity for younger people to get involved and benefit through the Youth
Leadership Program, (YLP). These sessions are led by experienced Toastmasters who
are passionate about sharing their Toastmasters skills. Igniters hosted a YLP
this fall for 8 weeks at the North Haven Community Association. Facilitated by Igniters
member, Diane and supported by 5 Igniters members (Lenore, Marvin,
Nandini, Glen, and Mona), as well as Toastmasters from other clubs (Lina and
Marcy), it offered youth ages 13-17 an opportunity to develop
communication and leadership skills through practical experience.
We had 19 engaged
youth who volunteered enthusiastically to take on new roles and step out of
their “comfort zones”. Each meeting was so much fun with all their creative
energy. They demonstrated great teamwork in supporting each other and learned
valuable skills including:
- preparing and presenting
speeches
- giving impromptu talks
- controlling voice, vocabulary,
gestures, and
- providing constructive feedback.
On the last
night, we had speech contests and they each gave a speech. It was amazing to
hear their passion for their topics, and to see how much their confidence had
improved in just 8 weeks. They rocked it! The two first place winners spoke
about “Humanity and its Delusions” and “No, Pineapple Doesn’t Belong on
Pizza!”.
A huge thank
you to all the Igniters members and other Toastmasters who gave their time and
energy to support our youth. Diane is extremely grateful for your
assistance and support.
Diane you get a gold star for leading this effort!
Emma VPPR
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