Hours:

• Mon.-Thurs.
  • 10am to 9pm
• Fri.
  • 9am to noon
• Sun.
  • 4pm to 8pm

The ARC of Greensboro, Inc.

We continued our partnership from the fall. In which we had interviewed three gentlemen to develop persuasive speeches that will be presented in an effort to gain awareness or to raise money for the ARC. In addition we worked on the speech's introduction/body/conclusion and facilitated a workshop session on delivery (standing, sitting, with and without a podium, and videotaping).

This semester we helped ARC employees with their delivery skills through a series of consultations and workshops. ARC employees participated in "Mental Retardation Awareness Month" by doing presentations with the skills they learned from the Speaking Center.

Click on the links below to view their speeches.

• Chuck Flaherty
• John Van Hine
• John Venable

Triad Storytelling Circle

We continued our partnership from the fall. On March 14, 2004 two representatives from the University Speaking Center presented a storytelling workshop to the Triad Storytelling Circle. This group is comprised of members of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild and works toward raising "public awareness and [an] appreciation of storytelling". Their own pamphlet states that "storytelling is a form of teaching and training that taps into the emotions more readily than direct instruction and guides listeners to a new understanding." So, the participants were very open to this workshop which was entitled "Employing Storytelling to Teach Tolerance" and focused on the way storytelling could be used to make changes in our society and break down the cultural barriers that exist in our world.

The workshop began with a definition of tolerance; Heritage Dictionary Online defines it as "the capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others". Next, several tolerance themes such as helping others, empathy, and gender roles were discussed. Examples were shared from the personal classroom telling experiences of the two presenters. They shared information on making a session plan with a mid-story question to enforce the tolerance theme to an audience of young children. Also, information about the UNCG Storytelling Project, the North Carolina Character Education program, the Greensboro Children's Museum's Face to Face exhibit, and Cable "Creative Community" was shared.

After the workshop, a storytelling event took place. At every meeting, the Triad Storytelling Circle provides storytelling entertainment for the residents at a local nursing home in exchange for the use of one of their meeting rooms. The two representatives from the Speaking Center participated in this program by adding their storytelling talents.

The Speaking Center was able to reach out to this group, and share with them how we teach tolerance at UNCG, one story at a time. We were able to encourage the Triad Storytelling Circle members to use their talents to work for tolerance. The presenters and the participants exchanged ideas and resources and it was a beneficial experience for all involved.

Center for New North Carolinians, Americorps Division

We participated in their speaker's, training program. We provided an interactive workshop on delivery tips (facial/body/gesture/eye contact/movement) and provided them with anxiety tip sheets and dress tip sheets.

Girl Scouts of the Triad

We presented four, 35-minute activity sessions during a four-hour time slot on a Sat. afternoon. The topics of the sessions were a mock court, active listening, creating a specialized word dictionary, delivery, appearance and dress, speaking styles, and managing public speaking anxiety. The badges the girls were working towards included Conflict Resolution, The Lure of Language, Do you Get the Message, and From Stress to Success. During the middle of the day we scheduled an interview segment where the girls could ask the consultants questions about the different roles they play as students, husbands/wives, or in leadership positions on- and off-campus. The entire workshop session ended with optional campus tours.

Forensics/Speech and Debate at Western Guilford High School

A student who is now a consultant, as part of a communication internship, assisted an English teacher at a local high school. The English teacher was chosen by the high school's principal to pilot a forensics program. The consultant performed most of her work in the classroom; it was content-based help. She did some traveling to various forensics conferences in North Carolina. The student served as a judge for some of these events and has been offered a part-time Forensics coaching position next fall. The current project that the high school students are working on involves reading children's literature in search of stories to tell in upcoming competitions.

Toastmasters

We hosted a local Toastmasters meeting with hopes for future partnerships.

Greensboro Public Library

A consultant assisted in coordinating a storytelling schedule for the local public library.

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) Faculty Training Session

We continued the work we started in the fall including facilitating a workshop on nonverbal and verbal immediacy behaviors.