I got to catch up with one of my favorite people in the last couple weeks... Hillary Kolssak is my honorary sis, a fantastic mom, a speech and debate coach, and now this year, she will be running a speech and debate club in the Chicago area. She is a wealth or information and knowledge! We are so blessed to have her share her insights with Lasting Impact! Last year she created a rhetoric program for her club. She saw the need for her advanced students...
Wow! We are blown away by the response to the Lasting Impact! Online Speech Club, as well as Online Apologetics and Impromptu! Our Online Tuesday Speech Club is FULL! Therefore we created another day and time – Thursday mornings 8:00 am CT. We want to make sure students and families who want to participate in a club setting CAN. You better act quick and sign up now, we don’t anticipate opening another class.
Sign up for Online Speech Club HERE.
We still have a few spots left for both Online Apol and Impromptu Groups. Our Lasting Impact! Team can’t wait to get started. If you have been thinking about it… I encourage you to sign up now!
Sign up for Online Apologetics HERE.
Sign up for Online Impromptu HERE.
Here are some of the questions that maybe you have about joining…
How much work will Online Speech Club be?
My goal is to get your student ready… tournament ready, by the end of the semester. How’s much work the students put into it, is up to you! Are there assignments- yes! Will they be participating in the various types of speech offered in competition- yes! My hope is that this is where they will find their inspiration for what God will be putting on their heart for the next season.
Are your classes/club only for beginners?
Absolutely not! All of our classes are for any one.. parents, coaches, and families included. We often have a variety of students. We hope to challenge the advanced and encourage the beginner.
What if I can’t make a session?
We record our sessions, so you can still get access to it.
Do I need anything technically, in order to participate?
We use an online forum called, Zoom. It works on any device. You need decent Wifi… worst case scenario you can call in, or just use the audio.
My student is very shy, will they have to present?
We try to make this as gentle as possible. We have never had someone not participate. Our groups become like family. The students are encouraging to one another. We also have Lasting Impact! ambassadors, who are also leaders, full of experience to cheer your students on.
My family won’t be participating at tournaments or with a league, is that ok?
Yes! We have had many students who didn’t participate in Apologetics at a tournament, but were part of our group. Our goal is kingdom building, not necessarily winning tournaments. We like for students to find opportunities to grow… wherever that might be.
What if my student needs extra coaching?
Our first priority is our students. We are always happy to set up a coaching call/session at our membership price.
We can’t join your online groups because of other commitments, what is the best way to to find out about Lasting Impact! Workshops?
The best way to keep up with everything from Lasting Impact! is to be sure you have “subscribed” to our site. You can subscribe by going to the right hand side of the home page, and giving us your email. Then, all of our posts will be sent directly to your email. Technically, you don’t even have to be a member to subscribe to our blog!
Another way to keep up with us, is to “like” our Facebook page. You will see what articles we post, as well as be able to join in on giveaways and the random question, etc.
Do you record your Workshops?
If you can’t make a Workshop, we do try to record them, and will put them on our site for your ability to view, or share with your club. Recorded Workshops/Videos are available in the SHOP. Clubs have permission to use these video recordings too! Video recordings are $5.
What Video Recordings of your Workshops do you have?
We are so excited to start this journey with you and your family! Thank you for considering Lasting Impact!
Every Speech and Debate Club needs ice breakers to get things started. Every coach needs creative ideas for getting kids outside of the inhibitions that box them in and stifle their performances. Our games book is an idea generator to help you accomplish both! Cross-referenced by the skills they enhance, these games are designed specifically to enhance performance in a variety of speech events.
These games are broken up, to help you the user, identity with what “target skill” you want to focus on. There are games for each of the types of speech- interpretive, limited prep, and platform. Target skills include…
Characterization
Environment
Improv
Limited Prep
Object Work
Performance
Visualization
There are over 40 games… the variations to these games are endless!! Also included are lists and scenarios – ideas to keep your club or group on their toes for years to come! This is a must have resource for every Speech and Debate Club.
Pre-order your copy today! Here.
We are so excited to meet the needs of families who are not in an area that offers a speech club! Through the power of technology our online club will meet weekly in the comfort of your own home… or wherever you happen to be!
Speech Coach, Heather Neumann, will lead students/families through a fun-filled 14 week journey on the basics of Speech- about different speech events, how to choose a topic, as well as delivery. Students will be held accountable, stretched, and encouraged. They will be prepared to compete for the 2018-2019 speech season. There will be assignments using Lasting Impact! articles. Hard copies of Lasting Impact! Vol. 1 and 2 will be available at a discount for club members, if you choose. We are excited to have guest speakers, and there will be expectations, presentations, and feedback. Parents will be able to give your student credit for the course.
Be sure to sign up now to start the speech season off with a bang! Space will be limited.
A majority of Speech and Debate Clubs use part of their club time to evaluate or give feedback to their speech students. New students and parents often don't feel qualified to give feedback. However club time is the perfect time to give speeches and have them evaluated. This is an excellent teaching opportunity for students - on what speeches should look like, and parents, how to be better judges.
Below is a list/form, club leader, Amy Willson, of Fox Valley Talk in Appleton, WI created to help the process of giving and receiving feedback. The club created a laminated copy/sheet for the room leader to have. The goals for the feedback session may vary from club to club- some include: helping younger students or new parents to give an assessment of speeches, for the speaker to receive quality feedback, keeping the room moving to get through the allotted speeches in any given day.
We are in the process of creating this information in our new resources page for club leaders, as well as families, to use. Be sure to check out the Lasting Impact! Library Coming Soon! We will offer a variety documents for club leaders, students, coaches, etc. FREE for members of Lasting Impact! If you are a club leader that would like to share your documents with other members- let us know! We would love to include your resources in The Lasting Impact! Library. We hope to have the library up and running by the end of the year!
Tips For Evaluating Speech Students During Club Time...
It’s that time in the season again and Clubs are starting back up, and parents are trying to find the balance between all the different activities and options for their children. The question is, when should you start Speech and Debate for your child?
Continue reading “When Should Your Child Start Speech and Debate?”
Starting and leading a Speech and Debate Club can take a lot of time and energy. Club leaders are amazing! However, many club leaders feel inadequate and unequipped. I have been asked numerous times to show what a sample syllabus of what a random speech club would/could look like. Challenge accepted! So naturally I thought I would use Lasting Impact! Vol. 1 as my guide. Please note- Lasting Impact! Vol. 1 was not written as a curriculum, but because we follow your speech journey, you can see the path I chose to use. Whether you are a new club leader or a leader looking for a fresh new approach on how to combat club this year, here is a possible syllabus using Lasting Impact! Vol. 1 as your main resource….
One of the great challenges in Speech and Debate clubs - especially well-established and growing clubs - is how to make the club time valuable for both ends of the experience spectrum- advanced and beginner students. A new family in the club knows nothing and is feeling overwhelmed and uniformed. They need to know what the events are. They need practice and instruction in basic skills. They need to know what they are aiming for. They want to grow so they can do this speech thing. And let's face it, those kids who have competed a couple of seasons don't want to learn basic skills again. They don't want to have the events explained to them. They don't even want to demonstrate last year's speeches! They want to grow themselves. How do we find the balance here?
At Lasting Impact! we support kids, parents, coaches, AND clubs! We often have people ask us- how do you start a club, then what?! Over the summer we hope to inspire some of you thinking about starting a club in your area. No two clubs are alike… Think about what impact a club could have on your family or your area!
Kristi Eskelund has started multiple clubs. Her husband is in the military and they move every couple of years. So when she wanted her kids to get involved in Speech and Debate, and there was no Club near by she started one herself!
By: Heather Neumann
Christina Oser is a homeschool mom and mother of 5, as well as a mid-wife, from Madison, WI. If you would have told her, she would start a Speech and Debate Club in 2015, when her oldest was starting high school, she would have said, “I’ve learned better than to say, “No way!” So maybe, “Only if absolutely necessary!” Or, “There are any number of people who would be a better fit for that job description.” Although she didn’t anticipate starting a club, she feels by starting a club it increased confidence, stronger communication skills, and friendships for her high schooler, as well as herself!
You must be logged in to post a comment.