The Practice Space

New program alert Due to high demand, we are excited to now be offering a Teen Speech Camp this summer! Our camps offer a fun, inclusive environment for youth to become more comfortable expressing themselves through stories, speech, and debate. Registration for all four of these camps is open on our website- we can't wait to see you there! https://www.practice-space.org/clubs-and-camps/... #thepracticespace #youthvoice #confidence #communication #community #nonprofit

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! These five students from El Cerrito High School have been with The Practice Space from the very beginning. They are not only determined and resilient, but incredibly giving AnnMarie loves the tiara and sash they gave her for being their "Speech Queen"! Many of them are coaching for us this summer and we look forward to seeing all of the incredible things that they achieve in the future!

We are just one week away from the first meeting of our Teen Speech Camp here at The Practice Space! Every week, students will learn how to choose a speech topic, prepare content, and work on voice and delivery. Every student will end the summer with a 5-minute speech, presentation, poem, or monologue to perform in a showcase, such as this performance given by one of our high school students, Isa! To register and join us at Teen Speech Camp, head to our website: https://www.practice-space.org//teen-speech-camp-ages-12-/ Check out Isa's performance here: https://youtu.be/0P6YwFaklU8

Registration for our spring programming at The Practice Space is officially OPEN! Use this link to head to our website to sign up for online classes, apply for full-tuition scholarships for these programs, and apply for free educator coaching: https://www.practice-space.org We look forward to (Virtually) seeing you there! #thepracticespace #publicspeaking #community #richmond #confidence #speech #debate

"The events of January 6th forced me to lean deeper into my identities as a writer, poet, nonprofit worker bee, and vulnerable, angry human of color feeling pain and outrage alongside my community. Leaning into those identities made me ask myself: in light of all these identities being a piece of who I am, how then will I use my voice to respond to this moment?" - Diana Medina To read the full blog post from our Program Director, Diana Medina, and her reflections following th...e recent events of January 6th, head to the blog page on our website or follow the link below. https://www.practice-space.org/finding-your-voice-in-the-m/ #thepracticespace #confidence #publicspeaking #community #reflection

Breaking News!Our fall schedule for online public speaking programs is finally out! We have online mini-courses, clubs, private lessons, events, and even a new public speaking certification program. There are many new offerings for adults, educators, young speakers ages 8-11, and middle school and high school teen speakers! The first program begins on September 9th and scholarships are available. While you are at it, check out our newly launched website and spread the word! www.practice-space.org

Hi TPS family! Today, on Election Day, we wanted to share a recent blog post by Jennifer Quiroz, who first joined The Practice Space as a @richmondpromise Summer Associate. She reflects on what prevents many of us from using our voice, especially when the stakes are high, and the journey she set herself on after a wakeup call as an 18-year-old juror. "It’s definitely a difficult process on its own, learning how to speak up for yourself while you struggle with internal doubt...s or with societal power struggles, but it is a task that must be taken on." Voting is one way to be heard, but we must use our voice to advocate for ourselves and others every day. If you've ever felt silenced or a little self-doubt, you will relate to Jennifer's story and find inspiration in what she decides to do so she will never let the "feelings of powerlessness paralyze [her]" again. https://www.practice-space.org/revelations-from-the-courtr/ #vote #election #advocacy #voice #inspiration #Richmond #yourvoicematters See more

Happy Friday everyone! With all of the speaking we currently do online, it can still be nerve-wracking to speak up for ourselves. It's especially tempting to press that mute button and avoid speaking at all! Our guest blog for El Cerrito organization, Humintell, provides tips for getting into the "teaching mindset" and viewing speaking as a chance to "teach" instead of feeling like you are on trial. Happy reading! #humintell #thepracticespace #publicspeaking

Speaking is challenging, especially in uncertain situations like participating online! For all you educators out there, we put together some frequently asked questions to share ideas we've tried to help students feel more comfortable speaking in the virtual classroom. Read our blog: https://www.practice-space.org/how-to-get-students-comfort/ For more support, sign-up for our next educator workshop this Thursday, 10/29 (tomorrow), Student Leaders in Online Classrooms! Free for all WCCUSD and San Leandro educators: https://www.practice-space.org/educator-coaching/ #education #publicspeaking

Hear stories and poems about leadership, neighborhoods, and nature!

If you are looking to hear stories and speeches that inspire, tune into our Facebook Live this Tuesday for our "Practice World" performance series! We will hear poetry and personal experiences from three different young people who grew up in Richmond and San Pablo. The themes for this month are: Leadership, Neighborhoods, and Nature. We welcome beginning speakers of all ages to sign up for our November Facebook Live on the themes of Country, Family, and Land. Sign up at bit.ly/PracticeWorld. For all the listeners out there, we will see you on Facebook this Tuesday, 10/27, at 6:30pm @tpsnonprofit. #ThePracticeSpace #PublicSpeaking

We will miss Nancy Correa and the amazing work she did for The Practice Space!! She will forever be a part of our community and we can't wait to hear about the amazing things she does in her career! We you Nancy!

Every public speaker and emerging leader needs a coach who can help them refine their ideas, polish their oral delivery, and anticipate the needs of their audience. In addition to educators, "coaches" can be youth leaders, family members and mentors. Even online, coaches have a key role to play to improve the learning culture, provide better feedback, and inspire confidence. Our Coaching Guide provides resources on giving feedback as well as how to encourage an equitable culture. #publicspeaking #coaching #equity #education

This coping clip is about how educators are dealing with the challenges of teaching online. Lola Sims Muddavanha, a 6th grade teacher in Vallejo City Unified, discusses with educator Willie Adams the ways she is keeping students engaged in the online classroom. #ThePracticeSpace #PublicSpeaking #Educators

Welcome to our first live Practice World event everyone!!! Practice World is a monthly series of online or in-person community events where youth and adults deliver a 5-minute spoken performance (speech, monologue, debate, poem....anything spoken goes) about a select theme. To support, please send us your comments and questions below! For more information on our events visit: https://www.practice-space.org/events-overview/ Richmond Promise

This mini-course is for middle schoolers who have something to say! These three 90-minute sessions are open to beginning and intermediate debaters, and we focus on building confidence as well as becoming a more persuasive speaker . So, whether you already love debate or have always been curious but were too shy to debate, this course is for you! Over three sessions, we practice debating different topics and work together with partners in a fun, supportive environment. Thi...s course is $50. We meet for three 90 minute sessions on Thursdays, September 24th, October 1st, and October 8th. Sessions take place from 4:30pm to 6pm PST via Zoom. Registration is first come, first served, until we sell out class will be capped at 16 people. After registration, we will reach out via email with the Zoom link for the course, so please make sure you enter a valid email address during payment. Check out the course here : https://www.practice-space.org/youth-mini-courses/

Join us this Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:30 pm as we launch a series of online events at The Practice Space! These events, called "Practice World" , are part of a monthly series of easy, non-scary experiences where you can share a 5-minute spoken performance about a special theme. featuring Richmond speakers on the themes of community, love, and justice. See you soon! #ThePracticeSpace #PublicSpeaking

We are starting online events at The Practice Space! These events, called "Practice World" , are part of a monthly series of easy, non-scary experiences where you can share a 5-minute spoken performance about a special theme. Our first event is next Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:30pm, featuring Richmond speakers on the themes of community, love, and justice. In the future, we are looking for first-time, beginning public speakers who want to practice telling a story, presenting information, or advocating for an issue. This opportunity is free and speakers get 30 minutes of coaching to feel ready and more confident! Hope you join us online next Tuesday to support these speakers. Richmond Promise #ThePracticeSpace #PublicSpeaking