Looking for programs in public speaking and communication skills that go the extra mile and bring something unique to the table? Check out our list!
Bangalore has tons of classes that offer public speaking, leadership and communication skills. We decided to hand pick those that go the extra mile and add a layer of creativity and individuality to mere technical skills. From workshops that offer the Trinity Exam to those that harness communication and interpersonal skills.
Here are 7 places in Bangalore that can get your children to get some great life skills for the years ahead.
1. Sparkling Mindz
Sparkling Mindz has two fantastic programs for children. One is the The Young Thinkers and Achievers Program, which develops the child’s potential in the thinking, social and emotional domains.
The second program by Sparkling Mindz is its TED Ed Club. TED talks are world famous and the club teaches students a very crucial skill – presentation literacy. Students learn to develop and present their own ideas through TED-style talks. They learn some fantastic new age skills, including storytelling, storyboarding, debating, discussing and ideating, apart from connecting to TED Ed talkers from all over the world. In fact, on December 3, 13-year-old Esha Karthi Raj, one of the students enrolled in the TED Ed program offered by Sparkling Mindz, spoke at the TED-Ed Weekend Live stage in NYC! She was one of the 20 students selected from around the world amongst 1000s of TED-Ed talks.
What BB likes: The Young Thinkers and Achievers program is framed using unique game-based methodologies.
Age group: 6 to 16 years
Where: Koramangala, Kalyan Nagar
Contact details: Sparkling Mindz
2. Free Thinking School
The Freethinking School is a Montessori that also conducts some fantastic after-school activities. As part of its weekend school, it offers a skills workshop and a mentor program. The Free Thinking School also has a TED Ed club that helps children develop presentation literacy and public speaking skills.
What BB likes: Its programs goes beyond just leadership skills and also focuses on entrepreneurship, finance, technology and much more, apart from offering career preparatory experiences to children.
Age group: 8 to 18 years
Where: Koramangala
Contact details: The Free Thinking School
3. School of Public Speaking by Manoj Thelakkat
Manoj Thelakkat has been a public speaking coach for 20+ years and is the founder of the School of Public Speaking, where he conducts online public speaking workshops for children. Each day there are specific inputs based on which participants create a speech and present it to the group the next day. The workshop covers various topics like overcoming stage fear, speech preparation and delivery, improving body language, how to create a stage presence and more. Each day there are specific inputs, based on which participants create a speech, and present it to the group the next day. Batches are held age wise: 4 day program is available for 8 to 12 year old and 5 day program for children 12 to 18 years.
What BB likes: These fun-filled online workshops for children are hands-on with individual attention on each child and mentoring provided and batch size is limited to just 10 seats. The workshops also cover a wide variety of topics and that are helpful to kids looking to master the art of public speaking.
Age group: 8 to 18 years
Where: Online Sessions
Contact details: School of Public Speaking
4. Beyond Books
Beyond Books is headed by chief mentor, trainer and life coach Rajendar Kumar Jain, who has more than 20 years of experience in high profile corporate roles. Confidence building, public speaking, networking and career goals are some focus areas. Says Kumar, “children typically fear speaking in public and their ability to make decisions is not nurtured. Our workshop does this and more. We have 4 to 5 trainers working on various skills that children will find useful and we have 30 students in each batch.”
What BB likes: The children recently interviewed famous business people to find out what makes them tick. The course pushes them outside their comfort zone and they have fun at the same time.
Age group: 11 to 18 years
Where: Kasturba Road
Contact details: Contact Rajendar at +91-9916477771, +91-8050545203, +91-9739408065, +91-8105074532
5. Gavel Toastmaster’s Club
Heard of the famous Toastmaster’s Club? Well, the Gavel Club is Toastmaster’s for children, a platform for students to explore their public speaking and leadership skills. Affiliated to Toastmasters International, it has over 40 members. It has members from all over the city and from different schools. Gaveliers, as they are called, follow Toastmasters protocols, including club officer titles and also use Toastmaster’s education manuals.
What we like: The table topics get so creative, challenging and interesting and children develop impromptu speaking skills and even enter debate and speech contests with other community clubs.
Age group: 9 to 18 years
Where: Sarjapur Road and Bannerghatta Road
Contact details: NUK Library and Dhwani Gavel Club.
6. The Confident Communicator
The Confident Communicator is a training program that helps children improve their communication and presentation skills, apart from nurturing a child’s flair for leadership. Their ‘Communicate with Confidence’ training program helps children strengthen their communication skills that will prepare them for both real life situations and the many requirements of the corporate world.
What BB likes: This is a program that offers all skills that students find useful in college and in the workplace.
Age group: 9 to 16 years
Where: Whitefield
Contact details: Call Deepma at +91-9886991268 or visit their Facebook page.
7. Confident Living
Conducted by Aanchal Agarwal, a child psychotherapist with 15 years of experience, the workshop is intended to strengthen interpersonal skills, deal with fear when talking to people or on stage and develop fundamental interpersonal skills. The workshop builds on strategies to improve memory, concentration and focus, how to speak and pronounce words, creativity, vocabulary and the specifics of public speaking, including the right posture and other essentials.
What BB likes: The program is so comprehensive that it addresses everything from dealing with bullies to body language, presentation skills, public speaking and effective communication.
Age group: 5 to 12 years
Where: Hangout Library, Bellandur
Contact details: Confident Living
8. Engage Communication Classes by Gayathri & Navina
Run by Gayathri Venkatadri and Navina Anand, ‘Engage’ offers a comprehensive year round program that includes thinking, design, collaborative and emotional intelligence skills, which are often not taught in schools. Students learn these skills through a mixture of activities like directed writing tasks, speech presentations, role play, comprehension and note taking activities,
Says Gayathri, “Unicasting and Broadcasting have become the norms of living in the 21st century. Writing effectively and speaking clearly and comfortably in public is a valuable and often essential skill to possess. The ‘Engage’ program works in many areas. Children improve their writing skills, strengthen their thought process and learn to do well with public presentations. They are encouraged to review one another’s presentations, to offer and receive constructive criticism.”
What BB likes: Children are given the option of taking the Trinity Guild Hall Communications Certificate. This will be a value add on their college resume.
Age group: 6 to 16 years
Where: Adarsh Palm Retreat, Sarjapur Road
Contact details: Get in touch with Gayathri at emailgayathri.v@gmail.com or call her at +91-9740085300.
Featured Image courtesy: Designed by Freepik
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