About the organisation
Positively Speaking: empowering young people to fulfil their potential and maximum their opportunities
Positively Speaking supports youth entrepreneurship by providing training workshops to promote confident and effective communication. These interactive workshops provide opportunities to equip young people with the communication skills to promote their self-esteem and to increase their potential for successful entrepreneurship, employability and involvement in their communities.
We work primarily within the education and youth sectors, including charities and 3rd sector organisations.
Enterprise activity in schools
Positively Speaking recognises the benefits, rewards and advantages that are possible through positive communication.
Positively Speaking interactive workshops provide techniques to increase pupils’ skills as confident communicators and effective speakers. This improves their self-confidence, their education, employability and enterprise prospects and also their desire to use the power of their voice to bring positive change.
Besides speaking in front of others, our training also encourages listening, team work and peer evaluation, all important life skills. Participants are encouraged to practise different types of speaking e.g. effective introductions, impromptu speaking, questions/answers, persuasive speaking and delivering a prepared talk.
Overall the Positively Speaking workshop aims to:
- provide pupils with the confidence and skills to speak up and speak out on issues that are important to them
- to encourage active listening
- to foster feelings of community amongst pupils
An important element of the workshop is feedback which concentrates on qualities the pupils already have as speakers and areas in which they can improve. This is developed into peer-led feedback to understand the relevancy of giving/receiving constructive feedback.
This training has direct relevance to Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes and contributes towards progression to National Certificate and Highers; it also supports Scottish Government’s Youth Employment Strategy
Positively Speaking workshops are delivered in an upbeat and motivating environment. The workshops are either full-day (6 hours) or half-day (3 hours) and the number of participants per workshop is up to 25 depending on requirements.
Testimonials
“our S1 pupils took part in the Confidence in Speaking workshop which provided a valuable opportunity to improve their education and employment prospects; it shows how the power of their voice can bring positive change and can equip them with a valuable skill for life and for work. The group were encouraged to support each other and to share their experiences and all the young people took a big step forward in their confidence and speaking ability”
– Mrs. J Murray, Depute Head Teacher, Doon Academy, East Ayrshire
Contact information
Jane Cameron
Tel: 01292 678373
jane@positively-speaking.co.uk
