Youth Leadership Summit: A Celebration of Success
Highlights
(0:43) “And in today's episode...we’re going to be talking about the Youth Leadership Summit.”
(1:17) Youth Leadership Summit is a celebration of successes, workshops, and a speech competition.
(3:04) Educational workshops, like public speaking for social media
(4:10) When registering for Summit, they can choose if they want to participate in the International speech contest.
(6:45) This is for anybody, so the first invitations went out to past participants and gavel clubs.
(8:02) The fee is $20, which includes workshops, lunch and access to mentors.
(11:27 Kids are like sponges, picking up ideas and techniques from competitors.
Summary
The transcript captures a lively discussion about the upcoming Youth Leadership Summit on the D50 After Dark podcast, hosted by Mickey Bennett. He’s joined by Nikki Jones, the program coordinator, and Jen Hoch, who has attended previous summits, with a video message from Hitesh Bhalala, District 50 Youth Leadership Chair.
The summit is described as a “celebration of successes” that will take place on Saturday, April 26th at the Scottish Rite in Frisco, running from 9:30 AM after registration. For just $20, participants receive a full day of workshops, lunch, and mentorship. The event features educational sessions like “public speaking for social media,” “Hook, Line, and Sinker” to grasp audience attention, and practical skills like interview preparation with HR managers from various companies. Parents are encouraged to stay and will have their own dedicated sessions.
A highlight of the summit is the Inspirational Speech Contest, where participants can deliver a 3- to 5-minute speech on any topic, with prizes for the top performers. As Jen excitedly explains, “They love getting a medallion or a trophy or recognition as being one of the better or best speakers for the contest.” The competitive environment also provides valuable learning opportunities as participants watch each other and “pick up things that they like and will take them back and incorporate them in their next speech.”
Registration opened first for past youth leadership program participants and gavel club members, but it will be available to the public as well. The team expects spots to fill quickly, as their previous event “filled up in less than a minute.” The summit is open to anyone aged 10-18, not just those who have participated in previous programs.
The conversation is punctuated with enthusiasm, with Nikki sharing her excitement about keynote speaker Denise Castille: “I totally fangirled because I think she’s such a dynamic speaker. She’s amazing.” Mickey connects by sharing his own childhood memory of a Nintendo World Championship, suggesting the summit will create similarly lasting memories for participants.
District 50 Toastmasters’ webpage about youth programs is https://d50tm.org/pq/youth-leadership/
