Center News

Summer 2004 – Community Outreach

Family Services, Inc.

As an intern during the summer of 2004, a consultant worked with Family Services, Inc. in Winston-Salem, NC ( Forsyth County ) to create a speaker’s bureau for their organization. The first step was to envision and plan what the bureau would consist of. The consultant and the employees planned for a group of volunteers to be trained in various aspects of public speaking and presentation. The volunteers would then represent the organization in the community.

The main job of the consultant was to create and present speaking skills workshops to the employees. They would take their knowledge from the workshops and pass it on to the speaker’s bureau volunteers during training in the fall. The series of six workshops focused on anxiety management, general delivery skills, storytelling, teaching adult learners, conversation skills, motivating the audience, and using visual aids. The consultant also did research and logistical planning for the speaker’s bureau, as well as provided a sounding board for ideas and concerns.