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Shy teens don’t magically become confident speakers. They become confident by practicing, getting feedback, and realizing they can survive the moment when all eyes are on them. That’s why we sat down with Shelly and Simone to unpack what really happens inside the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, an eight-week workshop that trains teens to run meetings, deliver prepared speeches, and speak on the spot through table topics.

We walk through the nuts and bolts that most people never see: how hard it can be to find a host site, why recruiting often works best through community networks, and what a typical session looks like when students take officer roles and learn timekeeping, agenda flow, and evaluation basics. Then we get to the good part, the transformation. Students who start out reading word for word often end the program speaking with presence, clearer structure, and far less reliance on notes, especially when the showcase event creates a real deadline and a real audience.

One of the most memorable moments is the student-led showcase debate on whether AI is good or bad. The teens plan teams, research points, listen to counterarguments, and respond in real time, proving that leadership and communication skills grow fastest when students own the work. We also talk candidly about program improvements like making materials more modern, adding more conversation drills, and creating clearer next steps for families who ask, “How can my child keep going after this?”

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

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Johnathan Buckner, Don Dickinson DTM, Ashley Seiman and George Caspar DTM break down how our club planned, staffed, and ran the International Speech Contest, from recruiting nervous first-timers to solving hybrid hurdles. Along the way we share why live energy matters, how interviews can shine, and how creativity on stage can still fit the rules.

• roles of contest chair, contest master, and chief judge
• recruiting eligible speakers and volunteers early
• mapping eligibility with VP Education
• practical use of the rulebook and training
• day-of checklists, briefings, and timing flow
• hybrid facilitation versus in-person engagement
• post-event community building with snacks
• DIY trophies and club tradition
• value of contestant interviews
• why contests accelerate growth and focus
• encouraging creativity within the rules

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

We trace Apex Toastmasters from a cozy sunroom club to a packed, high‑energy room, then through COVID disruptions into a pragmatic hybrid model. Don Dickinson DTM shares lessons on leadership, Pathways, and how to keep growth healthy without losing the club’s soul.

• Apex origin story and early culture
• Leadership continuity as the growth engine
• Room changes and meeting design shaping energy
• COVID shock, hybrid return and energy trade‑offs
• Virtual vs hybrid vs in‑person effectiveness
• Pathways strengths, gaps and recent fixes
• The role of repetition and tougher evaluations
• What makes a compelling speaker and communicator
• Why the classic meeting format still works
• Life after DTM, mentorship and service
• The social glue of shared self‑improvement

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.