23 Aug 2022
Earlier this month, students Brooke Stewart and Samantha Gadsden tested their public speaking skills against the best in the state at the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Competition.
Run by the NSW Government Arts Unit, the competition asks students to deliver two speeches via zoom: one on a topic of their choice and one on an impromptu topic. Brooke’s speech was called Quacking Facts and was about her favourite animal: ducks. Samantha’s speech was about the heroes we don’t usually think about in the emergency services.
“The girls were wonderful,” recounts supervising teacher Libby Ridgway, “They tried really hard, were engaging and spoke beautifully. I’ve even convinced them to enter in next year.”
“Public speaking teaches us to engage an audience more effectively when we discuss topics we are passionate about,” Ms Ridgway explains, “It’s a skill we underestimate. Because we communicate with each other every day people assume that everyone can speak publicly. However, public speaking is a skill like any other and requires practice.”