The Practice Space Blog

Hey friends! With summer just around the corner, we’re gearing up for one of our favorite times of the year: summer camp season! This means our office will soon buzz with the sound of young people expressing themselves and having a blast in our public speaking-themed summer camp programs. It’s a time when creativity flourishes, […]

We love spring not just for its promise of new growth in nature, but also for the blossoming we witness within our programs. In this post, we’re taking a moment to recognize the contributions of the many college students who serve as coaches in our programs. Thanks to them, we can reach more after-school public […]

Our founder AnnMarie Baines had the honor of speaking at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas on March 7, 2024, where she discussed the importance of debate in advancing equity. We’re excited to share the transcript and audio link of her talk below, along with insightful questions from educators in the audience. We hope you find […]

Hello to everyone in The Practice Space community! Maribel and Cynthia here. We’re excited to share a heartwarming story of how poetry, literacy, and public speaking came together to build a stronger, more vibrant community at Washington Elementary School. For six weeks, we had the privilege of working closely with two classes on a series […]

Hi there! This is Camila Uribe. I am a Richmond Promise Scholar and Assistant Coach at The Practice Space. In this blog post, I will share some stories, experiences, and reflections I’ve had while giving back to my community. — The kids at King Elementary, the site where I worked this summer, are a great […]

We love working with local schools, especially when we get to do multiple programs! At Kennedy High School in Richmond, we just wrapped up three different youth voice initiatives in and out of the classroom, including a Debate Team, a Speech Club for newcomers, and a Speech and Debate curriculum for English Learners. Courage, competition, […]

Our founder AnnMarie Baines delivered this TEDx Talk on March 16, 2023. Check out the talk and transcript below to hear her insightful about expressing yourself confidently and creating meaningful connections with your audience. Listen to the full talk here. Speak for Yourself TEDx Talk, March 16, 2023 AnnMarie Baines Have you ever looked around […]

Light-touch activities can help lower stress around public speaking over time and offer an entry point to young people who have typically felt silenced or have had challenges participating or thinking of what to say. While this list of warm-ups can be used in multiple ways to engage learners, we have categorized them by: Warm-ups […]

During my time as Marketing Coordinator of The Practice Space, I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside a creative, passionate group of people while showcasing, and learning from the many inspiring members of our community. As I move into the next step of my career, I’m filled with gratitude for what I’ve learned in what […]

As part of our #WomenWeAdmire series for Women’s History Month, our team shared some of the women they admire the most in their lives.

I was in third grade when I first heard about speech and debate. I remember my teacher, Sally Woolsey, telling my mom about the amazing program at El Cerrito High School. As a quiet, reserved, 8-year old, debate sounded horrifying. For my mom, who had immigrated from the Philippines to California in her twenties, debate […]

The Practice Space is kicking off our Spring programs on January 25, with after-school clubs for Youth Participants ages 8-16, and two online mini-courses for our Adult Participants! Most offerings are virtual and will be hosted via Zoom, with Middle School Speakers Club being hosted in-person*. Full-tuition scholarships for all programs are available based on […]