Level Up!
Workshops in Public Speaking Social Skills
Level Up! Overview
Level Up! will quickly empower students to gain social confidence by developing and honing their public speaking and social skills. Designed for students in Grades 5-8, during this 8 week program students will learn speaking and social skills, having a lasting impact for confidently interacting with teachers, future job interviews, and achieving the goals students have set for themselves!
Grades 5-8 | Tuition: $299 ($29/ FIRST 10 STUDENTS)
Location: The Youth Center, 10761 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos, CA
Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Dates:
January 17th, 24th, 31st
February 7th, 28th
March 7th, 14th, 28th
Program Benefits:
Boost Confidence
Master Key Skills
Create Compelling Speeches
Enhance Communication
Engage Audiences1
Workshop Summary:
Week 1: Roll-the-Ball
Activity: Roll-the-Ball
Overview: Students practice smooth, focused conversation by sharing their thoughts on various topics while avoiding filler words and maintaining eye contact. This activity enhances their ability to engage in meaningful conversations and prepares them for interactions with unfamiliar peers.
Week 2: Personal Bubbles
Activity: Create Your Own Bubble
Overview: By creating visual representations of the qualities they value in friendships, students gain insight into their own social needs and learn to identify and foster positive relationships. This helps them understand the importance of aligning with friends who share similar values.
Week 3: Debate Day
Activity: Structured Debates
Overview: Students engage in structured debates, developing their ability to articulate and defend their opinions with evidence. This exercise promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and the ability to work with others who may have different perspectives.
Week 4: Conflict Resolution
Activity: Conflict Resolution Sheet
Overview: Through sharing personal experiences and learning conflict management strategies, students gain valuable skills for handling disagreements and building stronger relationships. This activity highlights the importance of constructive responses to conflicts.
Week 5: Listening Skills
Activity: Story Listening Exercise
Overview: By analyzing a detailed story and identifying key elements, students improve their ability to comprehend and engage with spoken content. This exercise enhances their active listening and understanding skills in various settings.
Week 6: What Would You Do?
Activity: Scenario Cards
Overview: Students explore different scenarios and discuss their responses, gaining insight into diverse perspectives and emotional responses. This activity fosters empathy and helps them understand that varying reactions to situations are normal.
Week 7: Goal Planning
Activity: Goal Setting and Planning
Overview: Students set personal goals and develop action plans with peer feedback. This activity encourages goal-setting, strategic planning, and collaborative problem-solving, boosting their confidence in achieving their objectives.
Week 8: Presentation
Activity: Skills Showcase
Overview: In the final session, students create and present posters reflecting on their learning journey. They demonstrate their new skills and celebrate their progress in front of their parents, showcasing their growth and accomplishments.
Program was created by Los Alamitos High School student Yara Saadeh in 2024.
Meet Yara Saadeh
The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow! The Youth Center is proud to partner with Los Alamitos High School junior Yara Saadeh, who has created our newest program, Level Up! This program aims to equip the students with public speaking and social skills, preparing them for a bright future! Growing up in Los Alamitos, Yara constantly participates in volunteering opportunities that engage her with children of all ages. Through these experiences, Yara noticed a need for improving communication skills of the students she’s interacted with. Public speaking and social etiquette are of immense importance as they pave the way for students to lead and connect with individuals, whether in a professional setting or simply during lunch at school. Yara leads by example, as a high school student, she is taking various rigorous classes such as AP and honors level classes. She has plans to pursue a degree in STEM and understands the importance of how what she does impacts her future. This summer she attended a research program at the University of California, Irvine and has volunteered as a Women-in-Stem in the Girls-in-Stem program of the Youth Center. Yara is an Ambassador Girl Scout and has completed her Bronze and Silver awards; she is currently working on her Gold Award. In addition to all this, she spends time volunteering at the LAVP, coaching FNL cheer, and volunteering during the summer at Camp SHARK. The Youth Center is so excited to watch students learn and be motivated by Yara as she shares her passion to teach and improve the public speaking ability and social skills with our children. She is ready to help these students Level Up!