MFRC x YRES Public Speaking for Seniors Session Recap

On April 21, 2026, we hosted yet another amazing public speaking session at Malvern Family Resource Centre in Scarborough! This month’s session was a little different for our participants as we focused on teaching Public Speaking and Speech Writing. Participants brought amazing ideas to the table that sparked a lot of meaningful conversations.

I, Thadseja, was joined by Emma, and we both enjoyed our time there. We started off the session with an icebreaker, asking the participants, “If you could master one skill instantly, what would it be?”. We heard some amazing answers like organizing a chaotic room, playing baseball, and mastering all languages. This icebreaker definitely got our participants comfortable, but it also got the group warmed up for the amazing conversations to follow. 

We then introduced the topic of speaking and speeches, talking about the benefits and tips on how to speak in front of others. During this portion of the session, we addressed the importance of confidence in front of a crowd, embracing nervousness, and word articulation. By showing them examples of how to use these skills in real life applications, we were able to show our participants that public speaking is not as difficult as it may seem. 

The remainder of our session included writing speeches and presenting them in front of others. When writing speeches, participants answered prompts about why public speaking is beneficial, whether it is ever too late to learn speech writing and delivery, and why people should be exposed to public speaking. Many participants came out of their comfort zones, maintaining eye contact with the audience, and speaking loud and confidently! We later encouraged them to provide feedback to others in small groups so everyone could take home feedback. 

We ended the session with a recap and role assignments for our next session in May. We also handed out crochet kits as a token of appreciation from YRES. This session was one of our most meaningful moments in our program as conversations sparked immensely! We saw lots of people who were shy to speak at the start, come out of their shells and contribute to the group. As leaders of this program, we were so proud to see everyone practise their public speaking skills! With everyone’s participation and kindness, we really felt welcomed and excited to be in the MFRC space!

Join us next month at Malvern Family Resource Centre for our next session!