Improve your public speaking and leadership skills today!

Speak & Lead with Pride is a hands-on course designed to teach the art of public speaking to students who may not have had any previous training. Students come voluntarily for six Saturday mornings in the spring for two-hour classes which are comprised of short didactic presentations; 3-
minute student presentations on chosen topics; and immediate feedback to students from both the instructors and fellow students. Semi-finalists compete for monetary awards and, finally, a public recognition ceremony for participants is held. Students also gain insight and information about Asian culture and their own Asian identity through the presentation of topics assigned to the students. All students improve their public speaking ability and gain self-confidence.

The San Mateo County Chapter of OCA is now accepting applications for its premier Speak and Lead with Pride program! This is a hands-on course designed to teach the art of public speaking and leadership skills to high school students. Over the course of 6 weeks, participants will gain remarkable confidence in their public speaking and leadership abilities. The course concludes with a recognition ceremony and speech contest for a monetary award.

Applicants should be high school students who identify as being Asian Pacific American. Applicants must also commit to attend all six Saturday classes plus the Recognition Ceremony and Speech Contest, scheduled for the evening of March 4, 2023.

Applicants must submit a recommendation letter from their school counselor or teacher and their latest school transcript.

Applications and more information are available from your school counselor or by clicking on the following links
Application Flyer in MS/Office Word Format
Application Flyer in Adobe PDF Format

Deadline to apply extended: in session

Photos and Videos From Previous Years