The perfect workshop for students with an understanding of public speaking essentials who want to further develop their presentation skills.
Over the July holidays, the focus will be Inspiring Impromptus.
Provide late-primary and high school students with an opportunity to develop their skills in a range of novel public speaking settings.
Expose students to more advanced public speaking concepts that set them up for both school and their later career.
Give students lots of opportunities to practice their speaking skills and receive feedback to help them improve as speakers.
Monday & Tuesday
10:00AM - 4:00PM
29 & 30 Jun 2026
2 Days
$290.00 $265.00
Early Bird Discount ends 24 May
Thursday & Friday
9:00AM - 3:00PM
9 & 10 Jul 2026
2 Days
$290.00 $265.00
Early Bird Discount ends 24 May
Monday & Tuesday
9:15AM - 3:15PM
13 & 14 Jul 2026
2 Days
$290.00 $265.00
Early Bird Discount ends 24 May
Monday & Tuesday
9:15AM - 3:15PM
13 & 14 Jul 2026
2 Days
$290.00 $265.00
Early Bird Discount ends 24 May
As students progress through late primary and early high school, they’re likely to encounter many challenges – one of which will undoubtedly be public speaking. Each of these opportunities to present will come with a unique set of circumstances, and it’s vital that students are across a range of different speaking styles to meet the trials they’re almost certain to face.
Our Public Speaking Polar Bears workshop seeks to help students not only meet those trials but truly conquer them.
This program changes every holiday and places the focus on a different skill or type of public speaking, and will include the following for 2026:
Whilst it’s recommended that students give each of these focuses a try, there is no particular need to start with any of them, meaning students are welcome to join at any time!
As with all our programs, we make sure that every classroom environment is nurturing for each individual, and that all the activities are lots of fun for all students. Every focus is an excellent opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of public speaking and build their confidence to take those challenges head-on.
More Information
By the time students reach high school, impromptu speaking is everywhere – class discussions, group presentations, debating tournaments, leadership interviews, even job interviews on the not-too-distant horizon. The ability to think on your feet and speak with clarity under pressure becomes one of the most valuable communication skills a young person can develop.
Over the July holidays, our Public Speaking Polar Bears will focus on Inspiring Impromptus – helping high school students sharpen their ability to respond thoughtfully and articulately when they’re put on the spot.
This workshop goes beyond simple impromptu frameworks. Students will explore how to quickly analyse a topic, identify the most interesting angle, and structure a response that’s not only coherent but also genuinely engaging for the audience. Through a wide range of impromptu formats – from one-word prompts to current affairs topics to “two minutes on whatever you’d like” – students will build the confidence and flexibility to speak well in almost any situation.
Our Public Speaking Polar Bears workshop is a mixed-experienced program.
It is designed primarily for students in High School who have been exposed to public speaking at school, but want to dive deeper into how it works. It is perfect for beginners and experience students alike (including students who have completed the program before), with coaches ready and able to extend students who need an extra push.
If you’re not sure whether your child would be better suited for our Public Speaking Polar Bears, Public Speaking Honeyeaters, Debating Hummingbirds, Debating Hawks or Practice Debates programs, please get in touch, and we would be more than happy to discuss it with you!
Check out our video on what to expect at our in-person holiday workshops below!
After completing the Inspiring Impromptus workshop, students should:
understand a range of impromptu speech frameworks and how to select the right one for different types of topics;
have developed the ability to quickly analyse an impromptu topic and identify an engaging angle to speak on; and
have been given multiple opportunities to present impromptu speeches across a range of formats and receive individualised feedback.
Revision of Fundamental Concepts
The workshop starts with a succinct (but important) revision of essential concepts, including audience engagement and speech structure. This helps set students up for the rest of the workshop and ensures that everyone starts on a similar level, even if they’ve not previously attended an SSA program.
Frameworks and When to Use Them
Unlike at primary school, high school students are usually expected to handle a wider variety of impromptu speaking situations – from short opinion pieces to longer analytical responses. This part of the workshop introduces students to several different impromptu frameworks (including IBC and FAT), and crucially, how to choose between them based on the topic in front of them.
Students are taught to recognise what type of impromptu topic they’re being given, and then quickly select the framework that will help them deliver the most engaging response.
Topic Analysis Under Pressure
A skill that distinguishes a good impromptu speech from a great one is the ability to find the interesting angle in a topic quickly. This section helps students develop strategies for analysing a topic in seconds – pulling apart what it’s really asking, considering different perspectives, and identifying the angle that will make for the most engaging speech.
This part of the workshop also covers how to draw on a personal “bank” of ideas, experiences and current affairs knowledge to make impromptu speeches feel substantive rather than thrown-together.
Practice Speeches and Interactive Activities
The bulk of the workshop is spent putting these skills into practice. Students will participate in a range of impromptu speaking activities, working through different formats – picture prompts, single-word stimuli, current affairs topics, “agree or disagree” motions, and more.
Each speech is accompanied by individualised, constructive feedback to help students continue developing their impromptu speaking skills well beyond the workshop. By the final day, students will have given multiple impromptu speeches across a range of formats and styles, leaving with both the strategies and the confidence to handle on-the-spot speaking in school, debating, and beyond.
Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Public Speaking Polar Bears class is 9 students with one coach.
If there aren’t any spots left, it’s usually because we’ve hit capacity – please get in touch with us and we’ll see what we can do about either opening an extra class, fitting your child into the existing class, or putting you on a waitlist in case any students pull out!
After each program, students will go home with:
If you’re interested in doing another holiday workshop, we would recommend that students move on to either:
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a weekly term program, we offer:
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or get in touch using our contact form to learn more!
Of the dozens of Polar Bears students surveyed in 2025...
My son really enjoyed the class. He said the teacher was great - he is humorous, vivid and knowledgeable! There was a point to learn behind each game they played. Also there was a structured notebook for them to write down the key points and strategies they learned. My boy said he had a great time!
It was very enjoyable and encouraging for kids to learn public speaking and the Australian legal system.
The topics were very good, and they taught it well.
