Build confidence, one speech at a time.
Students practice out loud through short speaking exercises, persuasive speeches, and group discussions. Community issues can give students a topic to explore and speak about.
Public speaking
Organize a thought and share it clearly with a group.
Persuasive communication
Build a claim and support it with reasons and evidence.
Impromptu speaking
Gather your thoughts and respond to a prompt on the spot.
Self-advocacy
Practice naming a concern and asking for what you need.
Critical thinking
Listen carefully, weigh different views, and disagree respectfully.
Group presentations
Work with others to shape an idea and present it to a group.
Cumulative K–12 workshop attendances
In the community.
Open Forum worked with the Cowart Family YMCA’s Teen Leaders Club on programming that explored persuasive speaking, advocacy, and community problem-solving.
Every student can learn to speak up.
Open Forum, Inc. is a Georgia-based, youth-led educational nonprofit. We make public speaking accessible to young people, whether they are preparing their first short talk or learning to make a more persuasive case.
Ava Seohyun Choi
Founder & President
Gabriella Shin
Co-Founder & Vice President
Bring Open Forum to your students.
We work with youth-serving organizations to offer interactive public speaking workshops at no cost to students or hosts.
What a workshop can look like
- A single 60–90 minute session or a short series
- Activities adapted to elementary, middle, or high school students
- Speaking exercises and group discussion built around a community issue