Description
Green Mountain Youth Speakers
Fall 2024 Semester: The Purposeful Journey – Engage your audience from start to finish.
Overview: This program is designed for students ages 12 and older of all experience levels. Program limited to 14 students. Newer students focus on the basics of organizing impromptu speeches and developing confidence, while seasoned students are encouraged to experiment with more advanced skills.
Group Facilitators: This group is led by Sarah Gorner and Sharon Koenig. They founded the group together in 2016.
Sarah has over 16 years of experience as a homeschool educator and leader, along with a pre-homeschooling career of coaching and directing on-camera talent while producing and directing. Her primary goal is to help students develop confidence and skill in their public speaking abilities as they move into adulthood.
Sharon works in organizational development, training, and leadership coaching. She has been involved in the adult public speaking group Toastmasters International for over 25 years, has been awarded Distinguished Toastmaster, and is currently pursuing her MS in Education. Sharon is gifted at listening to our students’ ideas and helping them to grow as public speakers.
Philosophy: We always, always keep in mind that each student is unique and we encourage them to find their own path when crafting and presenting their speeches. They’ll receive input from us and their peers but, when they stand up to present, the journey they choose to take their audience on is one of their own design. Supporting them as they find their voice is our biggest strength as a group and how we build strong, confident, and purposeful speakers.
Over the course of the semester, students:
- Rotate through leadership roles to run each meeting.
- Craft impromptu speeches in small groups.
- Work on stage presence and audience engagement techniques.
- Receive positive recognition at every meeting.
*No student preparation is required for meetings, EXCEPT for when a student is Master of Ceremonies. This meeting leadership role requires about 30 minutes of prep and is only assigned once or twice per calendar year.
Semester Calendar:
All meetings are on Thursday evenings from 7 – 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Master.
- Sep 5: Family Meeting* – Parents are encouraged to attend to learn about the program and meet other students and families. This session covers semester goals with group activities.
- Sep 19: Destinations – Focus on creating impactful endings and use them to plan speeches.
- Oct 3: Travel and Logistics – Explore how to structure and present information.
- Oct 17: The Ticket – Techniques for engaging introductions.
- Nov 7: Choosing Your Route – Deciding on the best way to present information.
- Nov 21: Fellow Travelers – Understanding audience engagement.
- Dec 5: Travel Upgrades – Enhancing and refining speech techniques.
- Dec 12: Family Meeting – Family and friends are invited to this end of the semester celebration. Students lead the meeting and present impromptu speeches.
*Parents attend only the first and last meetings of the semester.
Cost: To be determined.
The information below explains our program fees.
What you’re NOT paying for:
Sarah and Sharon help to keep our program costs low by donating their time and considerable talents to ensure that Green Mountain Youth Speakers is an exceptional growth and learning experience for all participating students.
We do not pay for meeting space at Lutheran Church of the Master, but the church requires that we have insurance.
What your program fee covers:
- Group Liability Insurance (this is our largest cost)
- A portion of our group’s website fees
- A donation to the church’s building maintenance fund*
*Our program is not affiliated with Lutheran Church of the Master, but the church generously allows us to use meeting space. In appreciation, we donate a portion of the student program fees to the church’s building maintenance fund. The amount we donate is based on the number of participating students and will be announced to participating families after registration closes.
