Finding Your Voice: Building Confidence Through Public Speaking

For many young people, public speaking can be a daunting task. Standing in front of an audience, sharing their personal thoughts, and worrying about making mistakes out of a fear of judgment can make anyone nervous. Regardless, communication is an incredibly important life skill to develop. 

It could be a presentation in university, interviewing for a job, leading a team, or sharing ideas in a future career. The ability to communicate with clarity and confidence can open many doors. Public speaking can also be personally empowering. Because it is a skill that many people find challenging, seeing your own progress can build confidence and a stronger belief in your abilities. The skills developed through public speaking can even carry over into everyday social situations, helping young people feel more comfortable introducing themselves, meeting new people, and sharing their thoughts in group settings. Despite the importance of these skills, structured opportunities to practice them in a supportive, low-pressure environment are often limited.

Here at VRES, this was a gap that we wanted to address. We recently hosted a youth public-speaking workshop run by two of our camp counsellors, Art and Jemma. This workshop focused on confidence-building, communication, and leadership skills development. 

The workshop utilized a project-based approach where the goal was to encourage participants to learn by actually doing. Throughout this session, youth developed their own speeches, learned techniques that can help them manage their nervousness, and finally presented their work to a group of like-minded others. They got an opportunity to receive feedback from their peers and learned additional presentation strategies after presenting, which allowed them to revise their speeches and deliver them for a second time. 

Participants in the workshop explored skills such as using gestures, varying emotional tones, organizing ideas into a clear message, and connecting with an audience. Beyond presentation techniques, the workshop also encouraged critical thinking as students reflected on their experiences and transformed their thoughts into meaningful presentations. 

For Art and Jemma, one of the most rewarding aspects of the event was seeing participants grow more comfortable sharing their voices. Throughout the workshop, students spoke about their personal experiences, from stories about meeting their best friends to sharing about their beloved pets. Each speech offered the audience a glimpse into their unique life perspectives and experiences. 

Art shared an anecdote of one participant who stood out to him in particular. During the first presentation round, she was too shy to share her speech. However, by the second round, she not only chose to present but also walked to the front of the room to deliver, which was not a step that all participants took. Her willingness to challenge herself demonstrated the exact goals of the workshop and why we designed it to support youth: growth through practice and challenging oneself. 

As this was our first public-speaking workshop, the event demonstrated an encouraging reality for us. Many young people initially feel nervous about public speaking; however, they realize this is a useful skill to develop and are eager to do so in the right environment. Participants embraced opportunities to refine their presentations and enthusiastically incorporated more advanced techniques into their speeches as the workshop progressed. 

Public speaking is not about being perfect. It’s about learning to express ideas, communicate effectively, and feel comfortable being heard. These skills strengthen confidence, support leadership development, and help prepare youth for any future academic or professional opportunities they might take on. 

At VRES, we believe that finding your voice takes practice, not perfection. We are proud of every participant who stepped outside their comfort zone and shared their story. We look forward to creating more opportunities for youth to build confidence, develop new skills, and discover the power of their own voice!