Students Develop Speaking, Leadership Skills at Oswego Toastmasters Summer Program

While many area students are spending their summer breaks splashing at the pool or in other leisure activities, some Fox Valley students have committed themselves to building their communication and leadership skills.

The Youth Leadership Program, sponsored by the Oswego Toastmasters club, is currently underway.  It consists of 18-20 students meeting for eight, 90-minute sessions on Monday mornings.  During this time, the students give and evaluate speeches. Through their participation in these meetings, they develop valuable leadership skills by deciding on speech topics, evaluating the speeches presented, and working with their peers to make sure meetings achieve their stated objectives.  The students also learn to overcome nervousness when speaking, organize and present ideas in a logical and convincing manner, and participate in and lead group discussions.

 “The Youth Leadership Program is designed to help students develop the principles of listening, thinking, and speaking,” said program coordinator, Nerina Human, an Oswego Toastmasters club member. “It’s amazing to see these kids work together and hear the speeches they’ve written. They’ve come a long way in a very short time.”

The Youth Leadership Program, which is free to participants, is conducted and supported by the Oswego Toastmasters club, a local chapter of Toastmasters International.  Oswego Toastmasters serves the Fox Valley communities of Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plano, Sandwich, and Aurora and meets on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 7 p.m. at the Little White School Museum, 72 Polk St., Oswego.

The Youth Leadership Program will conclude with a reception for the participants and their families. The reception will feature speeches from some of the students, along with other surprises.  This reception is an open house, and everyone in the community is invited to attend.  Please join these youths in celebrating their accomplishments on Tuesday, July 30 at 7 p.m. at the Little White School Museum.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the organization currently has more than 280,000 memberships in 13,500-plus clubs in 116 countries. For more information about Oswego Toastmasters, visit their website at www.oswegotoastmasters.org.