Kids’ Voices: Effective and Insightful

        Public speaking is a very effective form of communication. It is essential in the promotion of change. If many of us were to constantly withhold our views of how things should be, the way we live our life would be restricted to the ideas of the few who have given their input of ideas. To speak up for what one think needs to be changed means to accept one’s call of duty. I think that the project at Lafayette Charter Academy was a great reinforcement of the aforementioned statements.

         The fifth graders at Lafayette showed everyone that opinions can be expressed in a number of ways (through comedy sketches, music, and parodies of reality and game shows). I learned that these comedic performances by the kids can in fact be considered a form of public speaking. Their issues are addressed in a manner that would undoubtedly strike intrigue into an audience, yet these issues were clear and explicit. This is what a public speaker would want the listener to receive: intrigue and insight. There is no doubting that the kids achieved this. Not only does this mean that this project demonstrated that public speaking can operate as a tool for social change, but it also empowered the fifth graders to apply this to their lives. It was a stepping stone for the speaking out against challenges that inevitably occur in their future. Since they are exposed to speaking up for change, they can more readily use their voices in order to bring about what they feel needs to be changed.