Speaking Camp Kangaroos

Stories are all around us, from the picture books we grow up on to tales we share as adults.

But the art of telling an engaging story is often more difficult than it might first appear.

In this workshop, students are given the opportunity to explore narratives from an alternative perspective. By looking at a variety of different stories from a range of sources, students are able to pull them apart to see how they work and put them back together in a way that suits their own personal storytelling style.

The goal of the workshop is to help students feel more confident in sharing their experiences – whether personal or adapted from something they’ve heard – in a clear and concise manner, with plenty of opportunities to practice and develop their skills!

Our Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop is a mixed-experience program.

There are three groups of students who would benefit from undertaking the Speaking Camp Kangaroos program:

1. those who have previous formal coaching in public speaking – this may be from one of our programs (including our Speaking Camp Koalas holiday program, or our Wombats or Wallabies weekly term programs), from another provider or potentially through their school;
2. anyone who is trying out public speaking for the first time, is already reasonably confident and is unable to attend the Speaking Camp Koalas workshop; or
3. students who have previously completed the Kangaroos workshop who are interested in developing their speaking skills even further – given the program changes from holiday to holiday, students are more than welcome (and even encouraged) to try it again and again.

If you’re not sure whether your child fits into any of these categories, please get in touch and we can chat about your circumstances!

Alternatively, please check out our video below to see how our holiday workshops function!

After completing the Exploring Narratives program, students should:

• understand what the essential elements of a good story are, and be able to pick them out from common narratives;
• develop their ability to construct engaging narratives that they can share with others; and
• have been given multiple opportunities to present to their class in each and every session.

Fundamental Concepts

The program commences with a concise yet critical review of fundamental concepts encompassed in our introductory courses, such as audience engagement and speech structure. This initial step not only prepares students for the subsequent modules but also guarantees a uniform starting point for all participants, even if they’ve not done one of our workshops before.

Understanding Storytelling

After reviewing the fundamentals, students will discuss what stories are and why they’re such an influential way to communicate with others. Then, building on this, students examine what techniques storytellers use to make their stories more engaging, setting up the platform for the remainder of the workshop.

Dissecting and Rebuilding Stories

With this theory in mind, students will then have the opportunity to examine a range of stories from different perspectives, disassemble them, and reconstruct them in a way that best suits their own storytelling style. Through various activities and practice presentations, students will develop a better understanding of how to use both narrative structure and speaking manner to make stories even more engaging.

Developing Persuasive Presentations

Throughout the workshop, students will have a wide range of opportunities to put their newfound skills into practice and present in front of their peers. Given that students in this age group learn best by doing, there are plenty of practice speeches and speaking activities built into the program!

Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Speaking Camp Kangaroos class is 9 students per coach, with a maximum class size of 16 (with two coaches).

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 Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop, students will have:

• an emailed feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which outlines what they’ve improved on during the course, and what they could continue to work on in the future;
• a certificate recognising that they have completed the Speaking Camp Kangaroos workshop;
• a workbook containing the key concepts that students covered during the workshop; and
• a more refined understanding of how they can apply their speaking skills in day-to-day life!

As a mixed-experience program, our Speaking Camp Kangaroos program is designed to be completed multiple times – with a different focus every holiday, there’s always something new for students to take away from the program!

However, if you’re looking for something more regular, you may want to give one of our term programs a try, such as Public Speaking Wombats or Debating Wallabies, which will build on the skills learned during our holiday workshops.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or get in touch using our contact form to learn more!