Posted by Marianna Zeidler on May 17, 2021
Early March, Rotarians from the NE Chicagoland Passport and Lincolnshire clubs teamed up with the Daniel Wright Toastmasters Club to test the feasibility of a speakers’ program for teens.  The Roar to Soar was created as a pilot program, tailored to introduce teenagers to an interactive learning experience aimed at developing speaking and communication skills while helping others in the youth group to develop theirs.  Hosting the program through Zoom sessions was a first.  Students from five different high schools in Lake County, Illinois volunteered to participate after a couple of orientation meetings.  Eight sessions followed, covering topics such as Ice Breakers, Impromptu Speaking, Listening & Evaluating, Organizing Your Speech, Gestures in Speaking, Voice & Vocabulary, Interviews ... ending with a Show Your Skills session run entirely by the students which took place May 17, 2021.  Our initiative is aimed at encouraging Rotary clubs to engage their Interact clubs with a similar program.  The results are extremely rewarding.  Full credit for the success of this program is given to students Alexandra Berns & MeiLi Tompson from Libertyville High School, Nathan Knoll from Antioch Community High School, Gina Li from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Aditi Thota from Aptakisic Junior High School in Buffalo Grove, and Adriana Ulloa-Alonzo from Zion Benton Township High School.