Public speaking is about leadership.
The reason to give a presentation is to make an audience think and reflect, question an idea, consider a course of action, or get up and do something. The point is to make something happen.
It’s the speaker who gets to decide what that outcome is, and it’s her responsibility to achieve it. And that makes presentation-giving about much more than simply looking good in front of an audience, or getting through one’s remarks without stumbling. Great presentation-giving requires agency, and courage, and the belief that one has the right—and the power—to make people think, or question, or act.
In a Speaking Fellows session, students learn how to command the attention and respect of a group of people, express themselves authentically, and recognize what matters to their audience in order to create the kind of real, human connection that makes people want to listen.
The Speaking Fellows encourage their fellow students to believe in the authority of their own ideas, to understand the privilege of being heard, and to embrace presentation-giving as an opportunity to have a real impact on the world.
Every Barnard and Columbia student has the ability to reach this level of self-awareness and skill, and Speaking Fellows are trained to help each individual do so in the way that works best for her.
