Challenge your debating abilities and build confidence in public speaking as you perform, persuade, and entertain the audience with your display of knowledge of a topic of your choosing.
In this public speaking competition, Rotary Youth Speaks, young people are given a word to talk about with their own unique take on what it means to them and the world they live in. Ideally, this is a word or subject that can't be easily answered through Google or ChatGPT. Taking part helps build self-confidence and develop public speaking skills, including how to keep an audience engaged.
Entrants can take part in the Intermediate (ages 11-13) or Senior (14-17) categories (ages as of 31st August 2025) and the event is co-ordinated with local schools.
In Chipping Campden Rotary we provide a word for the evening, in March 2026 the word was “Dreaming"
Four schools took part, Blockley, Mickleton, St James Ebrington and St Catharines Chipping Campden. Our Judges Beth Gregory, Jill and Chris Leese, selected the winners. In first place was Milly Postins, second place was Isobelle Richmond and third place, Rafe White.