Seeking Recs to Develop 16 yo's Oratory Skills
Hello: My son is a 16 year old budding politician who enjoys writing and giving speeches. He is a junior at Alameda High School and was active in the Junior State of America (JSA) for the past 2 years, as his high school doesn't offer a debate program. Unfortunately, JSA has dissolved after 90 years of engaging students in public debate and civic engagement. We're stumped as to where to direct our son, who writes beautifully, enjoys public affairs, verbal sparring, and is not afraid of putting himself out there! He has a student volunteer position at Alameda City Hall and we are also active in a Toastmaster club. We would be grateful to know if there are debate organizations or a tutor that the community knows about. Thanks in advance for any tips.
Parent Replies
You are looking for The Practice Space in Richmond, CA.
This is a unique nonprofit dedicated to the oratory arts.
They work with kids and adults. The teen programming is inclusive and welcoming. There could even be work for your child.
If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for on the website, please call to discuss your needs or ideas.
This is a great group with a particular focus on kids.
Is there a mock trial team he can join? I am from Contra Costa, where many schools have mock trials and participate in the annual competition in which they "try" cases in court before real judges. I gather Alameda County Office of Education also runs a county-wide competition. https://www.acoe.org/civics. Mock trial is a great opportunity for kids to develop a range of legal and presentation skills, as well as teamwork skills. I judged for 20 years before I retired from the CoCo bench, and it was a highlight of the year for the judges too. Contra Costa also runs a moot court competition (appellate oral argument, not trials with witnesses and evidence). That may be unique to Contra Costa, but the Office of Education there might be ok with an Alameda team participating if your son can pull together a team.
I suggest that he start a debate team at his school.