Twenty-one Elphinstone high school students have completed the eight-week Toastmasters Youth Leadership program.
The program was introduced to Elphinstone by teacher Sarah Mani seven years ago to allow students to polish their speaking and listening skills. Over the eight-week period students prepare two speeches as well as undertaking various roles including Chair, General Evaluator, Wordmaster and Table Topics Master.
Evaluations are provided by students for each other. By pointing out the strengths in speeches and providing suggesting areas for improvement, they develop skills in providing positive feedback while helping each other in getting their message across more effectively.
A Table Topics exercise during each meeting creates the opportunity for students to develop skills in pulling together short on-the-spot responses for current topics without prior preparation.
Michael Worsfold, Sandy Wrightman and Kay Wotton of Morningstars Toastmasters Club of Gibsons assisted Mani in providing the training.
– Submitted by Kay Wotton
