These days, there seem to be hundreds of different extracurricular activities out there for your child to choose from, each geared toward a different skill or field of interest. For the athletes, there are a myriad of sports teams ranging from soccer to track & field to gymnastics or dance. For the STEM enthusiasts, there’s science olympiad, robotics, environmental club, and different ways to get started with coding or app development. But what about activities for kids who are interested in public speaking? If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably got a child who falls into this interest category, and this article will help you find the right extracurricular activity to help them foster and cultivate their passion! We’ll cover different reasons to join & benefits of 5 top extracurricular activities for kids who are interested in public speaking: 1) Drama/Theater Club, 2) Mock Trial, 3) Public Forum Debate, 4) Model Congress, 5) Model United Nations (MUN). Keep in mind, your child isn’t limited to just one extracurricular, and can always try out multiple activities throughout their school experience to find their best-fit community!
1. Drama/Theater Club
One of the most common extracurricular activities that comes to mind for kids who have an innate talent for public speaking and are interested in further developing their skills is drama/theater club! If your child has expressed an interest in the performing arts or is drawn to the spotlight, perhaps inspired by some of their favorite television characters or playwrights, this might be the extracurricular activity for them!
Overview – Skills & Benefits
Drama club is a great activity to foster your child’s imagination & curiosity along with critical communication skills to pair with their love of public speaking! Through different improv games and activities, students who participate in drama club/the performing arts learn to think quickly on their feet and develop different characters through creative storytelling. They learn to express new feelings and ideas as they push themselves to embody new roles and overcome new challenges, and they grow in confidence supported by their peers! Drama club and the performing arts help further develop your child’s passion for public speaking as they learn new vocabulary, how to project, articulation, and different types of non-verbal communication including the use of body language and facial expressions to convey their unique voice.
Noteworthy Appearances & Participants
Noteworthy Drama Club/Theater participants include Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, and Zac Efron!
Does your child like to think outside the box and see the world as their stage? Drama club might be the right fit for them!
2. Mock Trial
Is your child an avid fan of Law & Order, How to Get Away with Murder, or Suits? Have they expressed a desire to learn more about legal processes, the justice system, or imagined a future career in law? If this sounds like your child and you’re looking for an extracurricular to combine their interests and their passion for public speaking, Mock Trial might be a great activity for them to try out this year!
Overview – Skills & Benefits
In Mock Trial competitions, high school students are tasked with acting out a civil or criminal trial by arguing for either the prosecution or defense side against another team. A case booklet is distributed to participants with key details about the case, including witness statements and evidence exhibits. Your child and their team are then challenged to develop cases for both sides and to assign out roles amongst their teammates, including a trial attorney and witness, along with preparing certain elements for the trial beforehand, such as opening statements. During the competition, each team is assigned a side, and along with presenting what they’ve prepared in advance, they also have to think on their feet and respond to the other team through direct & cross-examinations as well as cohesive closing statements. Along with testing their public speaking skills, Mock Trial fosters students’ analytical & problem-solving skills and helps them grow in confidence & professionalism through an engaging and interactive model of project-based learning.
Noteworthy Appearances & Participants
Mock Trial has appeared in TV shows including Suits & Arrested Development!
Does your child have an interest in law or the criminal justice system and want to step into the courtroom? Mock Trial might be the right fit for them!
To Get Your Child Involved, Ask if their School Has a Team and Learn More Here!
3. Public Forum Debate
Have you noticed that your child gets push notifications from major news sources and is constantly aware of today’s top news headlines & evolving stories? Does your child have subscriptions to The New York Times, The Washington Post, or other major news sources and consistently keep up-to-date with current events? If this describes your child and they’re looking for a new way to develop their public speaking abilities, they may want to try out Public Forum Debate this school year!
Overview – Skills & Benefits
In Public Forum Debate competitions, four high school students in teams of two debate a timely issue with highly structured speaking guidelines & times. The central component of each debate is the resolution, or the topic that the students debate, which is drawn straight from the headlines and updated on a monthly basis, making Public Forum Debate best suited for students who are well-informed on today’s top & trending news stories. Example past topics include “resolved: the costs of college education outweigh the benefits” and “resolved: the U.S. federal government should permit the use of financial incentives to encourage organ donation.” Each team will either debate the affirmative or the negation side, present their case, and have an opportunity to engage with the other team through rebuttals, refutations, and crossfires, testing students’ abilities to prepare structured speeches and to give persuasive speeches on the fly. Students who participate in Public Forum Debate learn to think logically, are able to simplify concepts, and gain advanced abilities to organize their thoughts & presentations in a timely manner while engaging their audience.
Noteworthy Appearances & Participants
Public Forum Debate was founded in 2002, initially called “Ted Turner Debate,” meaning that your child could be one of the first noteworthy alumni of the activity!
Does your child want to refine their public speaking abilities while putting their knowledge & research of today’s current events to the test? Public Forum Debate might be a great fit for them!
Learn More & Get Your Child Involved with Public Forum Debate Here!
4. Model Congress
Does your child dream of becoming the President one day, or working on Capitol Hill? Are they a fan of Madam Secretary or Designated Survivor, enjoy staying up-to-date with C-SPAN, or typically have NPR playing during their spare time? If your child has shown an interest in U.S. government or politics and wants to develop their passion alongside practicing their public speaking, Model Congress might be the right activity for them to try next!
Overview – Skills & Benefits
In Model Congress, your child is given the chance to act as a member of Congress while being tasked with solving simulated challenges guided by parliamentary procedure. At competitions, students come together to debate pieces of mock legislation while representing particular roles on different committees, mirroring the Senate, the House of Representatives, or other branches of U.S. government. Assigned topics are based on designated committees and drawn from contemporary political & social issues, and students are expected to prepare bills leading up to each competition that they’ll have the opportunity to debate & defend amongst their peers! Students who stay up-to-date with current events & executive issues being debated are a great fit for Model Congress, as they’ll be prepared to debate key issues, compromise with their peers, and pass bills, just like the government does today! Through participating in Model Congress, your child will get to practice and refine their public speaking skills, learn key research & writing techniques, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the workings & functions of the U.S. government as well as the top political issues confronting today’s leadership!
Noteworthy Appearances & Participants
Model Congress simulations are hosted annually by top universities across the country, including Harvard and Yale, and feature engaging & noteworthy event speakers including members of today’s government!
Does your child see a future in government and want to put their public speaking skills to the test while cultivating their interests? Look no further than trying out Model Congress this semester!
Check Out Harvard Model Congress & Yale Model Congress to Get Your Child Involved!
5. Model United Nations (MUN)
Is your child a budding diplomat or interested in learning how to become a passionate youth leader & advocate? Are they engaged with the news, current events, and international affairs, consistently seeking to broaden their worldview and consider new perspectives? Are they hopeful about the future, and interested in tackling today’s greatest global challenges through brainstorming sustainable solutions alongside like-minded peers? If this sounds like your child, you should definitely consider signing them up for Model UN, whether through their school’s club or other MUN opportunities!
Overview – Skills & Benefits
In Model United Nations (MUN), students are given the opportunity to step into the shoes of world leaders to debate & solve today’s most pressing global challenges, all while having fun alongside like-minded peers! For each MUN conference, participants are assigned a country to represent and a specific topic to debate drawn straight from the United Nations’ agenda and global international events & news headlines. Your child may have the opportunity to tackle topics ranging from Climate Change to Nuclear Disarmament to the Refugee Crisis, and get to represent new perspectives from across the globe! Through discussing these different topics and engaging with a variety of fields, MUN helps students discover passions in medicine, education, international law, and foreign affairs as just a few examples. Model UN can be broken down into 5 key stages: 1) research, 2) debate, 3) negotiate 4) resolution, & 5) action, with students preparing their research before the conference and engaging in the following four stages alongside their fellow delegates as the experience unfolds. Each student gets to give an opening speech from the perspective of their country and then debate specific sub-issues in more impromptu style speeches, all leading toward working together with other participants to write a resolution, or their group’s solutions to the global problem at hand! MUN is especially unique in that it emphasizes the importance of students finding common ground, reaching a consensus, and bringing out the best in each other – critical in today’s highly polarized global environment. Through participating in MUN, your child will grow in confidence and learn the foundational skills of diplomacy, all while fostering their passion for public speaking and becoming a leader & advocate beyond the committee room!
Noteworthy Appearances & Participants
Model UN has been featured on TV shows including Parks & Recreation and Community, and noteworthy past participants include Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chelsea Clinton, George Stephanopoulos, and Rainn Wilson!
Does your child want to step into the shoes of leading diplomats to solve the world’s most pressing global challenges today? Model UN might be a great fit for them, and their next committee experience awaits!
Check out Best Delegate Model UN Teams to Find Your Child’s Perfect Team this Semester, and Register Your Child to Try MUN at an Upcoming Training Conference!
Your Child’s Public Speaking & Extracurricular Journey
If you can’t decide which of these amazing public speaking geared extracurricular activities sounds like the best fit for your child, that’s okay! Finding your child’s best-fit extracurricular activity & community to help them cultivate their passions and develop their skills is a journey, and your child isn’t limited to sticking with just one of the above options throughout their high school career. Many students will try out a number of different activities throughout high school, or pair up some of the above in order to comprehensively develop and challenge their public speaking skills! Model UN, as an example, is a great fit with Public Forum Debate for students who want to tackle contemporary issues from both global perspectives and broad research standpoints. For students who enjoy the Performing Arts & Drama Club, crisis-style Model UN might also be a natural fit, allowing them to use their imagination & creativity as they get into character and master the art of public speaking! Whichever activity your child chooses to try out next, we wish them the best of luck cultivating their passions and developing their public speaking talents & abilities!
Does Model UN sound like the right fit for your child? Are you interested in finding an upcoming conference for them to step into the shoes of global leaders & cultivate their public speaking skills? BDMUNC Virtual Model UN Conferences are available for students in grades 5 – 12 and include Training, Invitational, & Crisis level options!
