Key City Toastmasters Empower Students with Essential Communication Skills

The ability to communicate and speak confidently in public is a critical skill for any aspiring leader, and CEO students had the chance to sharpen these abilities during an impactful session with Key City Toastmasters members Stacy Britt, Charleszetta Williams, and Bonnie Tolliver. The speakers introduced the students to Toastmasters International, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals develop communication and leadership skills. They explained and demonstrated various professional and informal speaking scenarios, while also guiding students through the process of crafting an effective elevator pitch. They also challenged the students to put their skills to the test by offering some practice speaking exercises!

What is Toastmasters? ​​Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide to help people develop communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. Kankakee’s chapter, Key City Toastmasters, was chartered in 1980.

The development of effective communication and public speaking are core components of the Kankakee County CEO program. These skills help CEO students:
-- Build trust, credibility, and strong client relationships by presenting ideas clearly and confidently.
-- Develop leadership abilities, influence decision-making, and advance their careers through effective communication.
-- Boost personal growth and self-confidence by overcoming the fear of public speaking and expanding their professional networks.

Special thanks to Ms. Britt, Ms. Williams, and Ms. Tolliver for sharing their expertise with the CEO students!

10/11/24