Our Speaking Camp Koalas workshop is a beginner level program.

In short, anyone who is in Years 3 & 4 who hasn’t received formal public speaking and debating coaching would benefit from undertaking this course.  The program is designed to cater to a wide range of ability and confidence levels.  Whether shy or outgoing, naturally talented or in need of some direction, students almost always come out of the program having learned something new, and feeling more confident in their speaking ability.

Crucial to this is the parent presentation, which for many students is their first opportunity to speak in front of a large audience primarily comprised of adults – we give them plenty of time to prepare and practice, and help them feel more resilient when presented with speaking opportunities.

That said, if your child has formal coaching in both public speaking and debating, they may be better suited in our more experienced Speaking Camp Kangaroos program – please get in touch if you’d like to discuss your personal circumstances in more depth!

Over the three days, students will have the opportunity to:

• learn the essential building blocks which form persuasive speeches;
• be introduced to the fundamentals of debating, with a particular focus on ‘comparative’ debates;
• participate in a wide range of speaking-based activities, both as individuals and as part of small groups, which seek to make them more comfortable presenting to a class;
• enjoy a positive, fun and welcoming environment where they can develop their newfound skills with confidence.

Day #1

The first day starts with a range of activities to help students engage with one another and create a welcoming atmosphere within the class.  The day then focuses on the fundamental aspects of public speaking – including speech structure and argumentation – as well as a range of speeches and games to help students develop a more positive relationship with public speaking.

Day #2

The second day shifts the focus from public speaking to debating, running students through the necessary concepts and giving them the opportunity to do a mock debate as a class over the course of the morning.

When the afternoon rolls around, students again pivot their attention to the parent presentations the following day, and begin developing their speech ideas (and hopefully crafting their speeches).

Day #3

The final day centres predominantly on the parent presentations, helping students finish off their speeches, before practicing them in front of their coaches and receiving individual feedback.  Students are also exposed to a number of activities which are aimed at helping them understand and hopefully overcome any fears they might harbour about public speaking.

Parents are then invited to join us in the afternoon – usually from about 2:15pm – to watch the presentations!

Our Speaking Camp Koalas program is our only holiday workshop with parent presentations.

Over the course of the second and third days, students will have the opportunity to prepare their very own speech on a topic of their choice.  They will spend time during the program devising their topic, preparing their speech, practicing in front of peers and coaches, and receiving feedback to help them develop further.

Parents are invited to join the class at the end of the third day (usually around 2:15pm, although we’ll send out precise details via email in advance) – we’ll meet everyone at the sign in desk, and then take parents up to the relevant classrooms to listen to the class presentations!

Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Koalas class is 16 students 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 program, students will go home with:

• a personal feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which goes through what they’ve improved on, and what still needs some work;
• a certificate recognising their achievements at the workshop;
• a ‘cheat sheet’ summarising the main concepts that students cover during the program;
• a workbook containing any notes that the students wrote down during the course;
• a completed persuasive speech, which they deliver to parents on Day #3; and
• in most cases a changed perspective on public speaking!

If you’re interested in doing another holiday program, we would recommend that students move onto our Speaking Camp Kangaroos program.  This holiday workshop takes things a step further, giving students the opportunities to develop their speaking skills in a range of novel circumstances, from storytelling to more advanced debating speeches.

Alternatively, if you’re keen on a weekly term program, we would recommend either our Public Speaking Wallabies program, or our Debating Wallabies program.  Both programs go much further in depth on persuasive speeches and value debates respectively, and are the perfect way to ensure that students retain and build upon what they’ve learned over the holiday period!