Solana Beach-based students complete public speaking course

Twenty-four of tomorrow’s leaders complete an eight-week course in public speaking on Dec. 7. The Earl Warren Middle School students all finished the Youth Leadership Program at the Solana Beach Public Library. Encinitas Toastmasters sponsored the course. The Solana Beach/Del Mar Optimist Club will sponsor a graduation celebration.

The program is modeled after the popular Toastmaster program for adults. The student-run meetings use the proven approach of learning by doing. Each meeting has an announced order of business and a detailed agenda. In each meeting, participants practice the arts of listening, thinking and speaking. Meetings include both short impromptu speeches and longer prepared speeches emphasizing specific speaking skills. All students speak multiple times over the course of the program. Meeting leadership and roles rotate among the students. They develop critical leadership skills including listening, delegating, and providing constructive feedback.

Encinitas Toastmaster and local author Woodrow Wilson guided the students toward their goals. Palomar Airport Toastmaster Dan Williams and Youth Librarian Pat Tirona were critical to the student’s success. We thank the Solana Beach Library, Toastmasters International, District 5, and the Solana Beach/Del Mar Optimist Club for their generous support.

With nearly a quarter-million members in over ten thousand clubs, Toastmasters International is the world’s largest nonprofit educational organization devoted to communication and leadership development. The Encinitas club meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. The Palomar Airport club meets Tuesdays at 7 a.m.