Speech contest cultivates key skills

At 13, Kameron Payne already knows he wants to be a lawyer. And he knows communication skills will be critical, so he strives to perfect his oratorical proficiency however he can.

Two years ago, the Ruffner Academy Middle School student heard about a speech contest for children sponsored by Learning Entrepreneurs Getting It Together, a local non-profit that teaches and mentors youths, ages 9 to 18, in real-world business practices.

He decided to try it, and although he didn’t place during his first contest, he kept at it, entering three more. In the most recent round, he became the first-place winner at LEGIT’s South Side Public Speaking Contest, coming away with $100 in cash in December.

The contest, however, is not just about monetary rewards; it’s about preparing for life.

It is one part of a program designed to prepare today’s youth for adult leadership roles. The ultimate goal of LEGIT is to foster adult entrepreneurs who will contribute to the economic development of their local communities, according to the speech contest’s founder.

“We want kids to learn how to deal with the real world,” said Terry Kelly, 53, the LEGIT program director, who started the contests in 2010. “We want them to have more options than just being someone else’s employee.”

In addition to teaching business concepts, networking strategies and financial literacy, the program encourages the development of public speaking skills through four speech contests held each year.

On Dec. 15, Kameron and 26 other local youths participated in LEGIT’s South Side Public Speaking Contest, with five winners earning not only valuable oratorical experience, but cash and prizes worth more than $250. Over the past 18 months, 165 students have participated in the contests, with more than $2,000 awarded.

Public speaking boosts their confidence, Kelly said.

“Speech isn’t addressed well in the public schools – we know this,” he said. “Most of the topics we cover in LEGIT are topics that the public schools don’t cover well – entrepreneurship, finances and self-sufficiency. Our goal is to help these kids be more successful in life.”

Recent topics for the contests have included intuition, education, and the role of religion in society.

Porsha Jordan, 12, a sixth-grader at Lake Taylor Middle School, said she enjoys preparing for the LEGIT speech competitions’ four-to-five-minute speeches. She placed second in the Dec. 15 contest, her fourth.

“They’re fun, and I like them because I can bring out what I really want to say to people,” Porsha said. “They also help me get rid of my nervousness.”

Mary Pryor, an English teacher at Ruffner Academy Middle, encourages students to participate in LEGIT’s speech contests. She said she realized long ago that students don’t just want to write a paper and turn it in. They want to present their work to their peers.

“The speaking contest has really improved the quality of their essays in class,” Pryor said. “It’s persuasive and expository speaking – a more professional aspect of public speaking, and it will help them in their future professional dealings.”

LEGIT members – about eight regular students – meet twice a month at the Campostella Community Center to learn entrepreneurship and twice a month to work on public speaking skills. Another LEGIT group meets one Saturday a month in Franklin with about 18 students.

Students don’t have to be enrolled in the entrepreneurial training program to compete in the public speaking contests.

Participants in both come from all walks of life and all cities of the region, said Kelly, a Virginia Beach resident and shipfitter supervisor at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair.

“It doesn’t matter where they live or what school they attend or how much money their parents make,” he said. “The only requirement is that they want to learn how to be successful.”

Lia Russell, 582-6865, rhett2lia@cox.net