YRES x Stouffville 55+ Club Public Speaking for Seniors

On April 22, 2026, we hosted a Public Speaking and Speech Writing session at the Stouffville 55+ Club with 9 participants. Although it was a smaller group, it created a welcoming space for meaningful conversations, active participation, and genuine connection.

I, Nora, was joined by Thadseja to lead the session. We had a wonderful time getting to know the seniors and hearing more about why they wanted to develop their public speaking skills. Many shared that they hoped to build confidence in different areas of their lives. Two participants even mentioned that they wanted to feel more confident requesting songs in their choir, which we thought was such a meaningful and unique goal.

We began with an icebreaker: “If you could master one skill, what would it be?” At first, the group was a little shy, but this activity helped everyone ease into the session and begin opening up. We heard a variety of thoughtful answers, and Thadseja shared that she would love to master videography. As the conversation continued, the room became more relaxed, warm, and lively.

Throughout the workshop, we discussed the benefits of public speaking, along with important fundamentals like standing tall, projecting your voice, and maintaining eye contact. The group was engaged from beginning to end and showed a genuine interest in learning and improving.

One of the highlights of the session was our speech-writing activity. Participants wrote short speeches about public speaking, answering prompts about why it is beneficial, whether it is ever too late to learn, and why people should be exposed to public speaking. One participant shared a thoughtful speech about how public speaking is becoming a lost art, especially as people spend more time on devices and less time connecting face-to-face. This sparked a valuable discussion about confidence, communication, and the importance of human connection.

The seniors were very involved throughout the session, especially during our table topics section. Their answers led to great back-and-forth conversations, with profound insights coming from both the participants and our team.

We ended the session with a short Q&A and discussed ideas for our next workshop. As a token of appreciation, we also handed out crochet kits and notebooks for the participants to enjoy.

Overall, it was a lovely session with the Stouffville 55+ Club. We are excited to return in May and look forward to seeing everyone again!