Jack Petchey 'Speak Out' Challenge Workshop
Too many young people lack the confidence, skills and opportunity to share their ideas. More than 40% of the young people we meet say they don’t have the confidence to speak in front of a group of peers. The mission of Jack Petchey’s 'Speak Out' Challenge is to change this.On a bitterly cold but very bright Monday 15th January, a 'Speak Out' facilitator called Paddy visited us from the Jack Petchey Foundation. He spent the day with a large group of our Year 10 students leading a special workshop as the starting point in the 'Speak Out' Challenge'.
Since its inception, this programme has transformed hundreds of thousands of young lives – helping students to find their voices and show their capabilities to their peers and communities.
The programme is open to Year 10 students in every state school in London and Essex, which means that every year 20 000 young people are given the skills and encouragement to speak more confidently in public. Each student receives a full day of public speaking training with one of our expert trainers. The impact on students is profound, from increasing their empathy with the views of others to improving their ability to work under pressure.
After the workshop, selected students enter a competition structure – sharing their speeches on school, regional and national stages. Speeches are judged by panels of VIP judges – which helps to raise aspirations for students and the profile of young people in the community.
The programme culminates in the Grand Final event, usually held at a West End theatre. Students share inspiring, thought-provoking and uplifting speeches to an audience of a thousand people and a prestigious panel of judges and stand a chance to win a significant cash prize for themselves and their school.
Next step is in school assembly rounds. We will follow our young speakers progress with great interest and pride.
Dr N Shah | Canons High Jack Petchey Coordinator
