Does your child prefer to sit at the back of the class? Do they seem disengaged at school and at home? Do they avoid eye contact when asked a direct question? Perhaps your child has lots of ideas but struggles to articulate themselves?
We utilize the art of public speaking and debate to train students to be engaged and confident in the classroom. The Keys to Leadership program provides students with the skills to meet and exceed expectations in private and public education systems.
Effective Communication is KEY
Effective communication is a nuanced skill that influences everyday interactions with friends, family, teachers and is critical to success in both academic and public spheres. One of the most important (and dreaded) forms of communication is public speaking.
1) Practice Makes Perfect: Keys to Leadership is designed to allow students to explore ideas, develop critical thinking processes and learn to articulate themselves effectively. Students are required to research topics to become experts among their peers. Students then prepare a presentation to inform, influence and entertain an audience.
2) Become Private School Competitive: Interview, assessments, and presentation skills are developed and honed for the children that are interested in applying to prestigious private schools in Canada and abroad. These skills will prepare students for the rigorous application process and set them up for success once they are accepted.
3) Connect with Confidence: Children are often unaware that their non-verbal cues are distracting from their verbal message. For example, placing hands on your hips is considered a powerful pose and allows you to command a room while crossing your arms is considered to be weak and disengaged. Our educators are trained to recognize these non-verbal cues and coach students to appear approachable and confident.
4) Be Brave: This program is available to students ages 8 – 14 years old. Students interact with peers of mixed ages and abilities, younger students develop confidence and older students develop patience.
What can you do at home?
It is very important to continue to reinforce these leadership characteristics at home.
1） Let your son or daughter order their own food at restaurants. Make sure your child maintains good eye contact and manners with the waiter!
2） Practice ‘learn one, do one, teach one’, a concept practiced in North American Medical schools. This is built on the understanding that you only truly understand a concept when you are able to teach it to friends and family. Ask your child to teach you something that they learned at school or in after-school classes.
3）Encourage your child to participate in competitive sports. Encourage them to be graceful when losing and humble when winning.