Everyone would agree to say that the ability to communicate effectively in public is a very important skill to have. Everyday, we face different situations that require us to express our thoughts, share our personal stories, present a project to our team, convince people… But when the core of our work implies to collaborate with people with very different backgrounds, to really engage youngsters in the long term, to raise awareness on certain topics, to connect people and accompany them in their learning process… this skill becomes crucial. Being an effective youth worker requires indeed to have superb communication skills. Having this superpower helps organize better our everyday work and projects, from an activist campaign to the activities of a summer camp.

Unfortunately, this is a skill the majority of the people don’t really get the chance to practice at school (despite a couple of oral presentations). What if you never had the chance to be on the stage? What if nobody ever gave you constructive feedback about your strengths and weaknesses when sharing your ideas? What if you haven’t managed yet to develop enough self-confidence to face a big group and defend your ideas? Then you (and your organisation) have a handicap.

Don’t worry, many people working in NGOs share the same issue: not being able to really connect with an audience. For all those who feel this lack, we had developed Speak Factor courses, opening now the fourth edition of this successful programme.