The Practice Space Blog

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 YourselfTEDx Talk, March 16, 2023AnnMarie BainesHave you ever looked around and wanted to […]

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 […]

Did you know that The Practice Space coaches both speakers and facilitators, including educators? Through personalized coaching and experiential workshops we provide educators opportunities to learn and practice how to facilitate youth voice in the classroom. With a focus on youth voice facilitation strategies such as debate and storytelling, we meet educators where they are […]

Hello everyone. I’m Diana Medina, Program Director at The Practice Space. This post discusses the making of Season 4 of the Youth Aloud Podcast that was released on September 18, 2021. — Season 4 of Youth Aloud was the second season of our podcast that was created and released during the pandemic. For me as […]

The Practice Space is kicking off our Fall programs on September 28 with online after-school clubs for youth ages 8-16, and a Public Speaking Practice Series for our adult participants! All offerings are virtual and will be hosted via Zoom. Full-tuition scholarships for all programs are available based on financial need. Learn more about the […]

Hello! My name is Amber, I’m an intern at The Practice Space, and today I’m going to tell a story about retaining your voice during times of your life where you are challenged, afraid, or feel unsupported. Advocacy takes two forms, and both are enabled by the other. The first is speaking out for big […]

Hi! My name is Amber; I’m an intern at The Practice Space. Today, I’m going to talk about a speech that I watched this past year while learning about the connections between indigenous identity, art, expression, and sovereignty. I am going to recount the speech, explaining the speaker’s message and technique and how he is […]

Happy National Nonprofit day! National nonprofit day is dedicated to recognizing the goals and positive impacts nonprofits have on communities and the world. As a newer nonprofit organization, The Practice Space believes in building steady and ongoing connections to our community. To help us celebrate national nonprofit day, here are a few ways that we […]