Group: 1. Project: 0

One group project down, one to go.

Last night's presentation was a success, but I noted in myself again the real need for help with my public speaking. It always happens when I speak that I know what I want to say to the audience - and the tone I want to use to convey it - but once I get up there my confidence wavers wildly. I'll be in the middle of a thought, and I'll look out at the crowd, and I'll think geez, are they even listening to this? And then the sentence I am speaking, which started strongly enough, will taper off and wander away, embarrassed and looking for the exit.

Has anybody here been to Toastmasters? Is it a good organization to join for networking and public speaking experience, or is it a weird skull 'n' bones cult of some sort? The latter would not necessarily be a deterrant, if they were also good at delivering the former, if you know what I mean.

The group project was a prospectus about a state Senate bill. The bill offers a huge sum of funding - a total of $550 million! - to CA school districts that want to start or maintain after school programs. The catch is, the district has to start a community collaborative, made up of private sector people, members of the public, etc. And that collaborative has to write and maintain the program.

Reading the requirement literally, that's a tall order. And expensive, to run collaborative meetings for months or years while designing an after school program. And that's just to qualify for the funding. Staying together long enough to get the program off the ground? Hugely expensive. Who will foot the bill for all the coffee and doughnuts? Who will chain the community people to the table to keep them from dropping out?

Reading the requirement between the lines, sort of, we think any district with an ounce of sense will simply check the box on the app that says "Oh suuure, we have a collaborative," and then simply use their coalition of private-sector members for fund-raising, as before.

So we wrote about what it would take to make such a collaborative work in theory. It was a weird dynamic at work in the presentation. I was trying to throw in lots of caveats, as above, but the sentences I spoke kept wandering away. Meanwhile, the guy in our group had helped to write the bill in the first place, so he was very rah-rah about the need for after school programs.

Afterwards, the prof hinted broadly that such a prospectus might make someone a really good thesis, with the usual cautions and so forth. I assume he was speaking to me; I haven't asked the other two in my group if they're interested in taking this project forward.

Comments

[maya]

I am still not done with the paper, FYI. I'll try to finish before noon.

As for toastmasters, I was thinking about this last night and I have a plan, which I will post soon.

[Wende]

Yay you on the project. Just think... you're almost there... can you taste it yet? :D

As for toastmasters... I have a friend who loved it. Said it made all the difference in the world (he was using it to help with his preaching). If that helps.

[Dan]

I don't know from Toastmasters. I've heard some good stuff about it from friends. Nothing weird. It's strange, but a long time ago, when I was right out of high school, I had a couple of presentations to make to high school creative writing classes. Big groups. Scary. What I discovered then still seems true today (most recent experience: Last week, leading a political volunteers' meeting): I always feel a little awkward with a big group until I get them to laugh. After that, I'm usually able to just plow on through.

That after-school thing sounds like Arnold's first initiative, when the governorship was still just a gleam in his eye.

[pam]

Dan: it was! Prop 49 provided the big funding for the creation of after school programs. Now SB 638 (Torlakson) has added the layer of bureaucracy needed to qualify for the funds.

[Savvy]

I was paying attention!! I think toastmasters would be great - I plan on taking the course when school is done!

[holly]

Toastmasters is an awesome organization! Take advantage if you have the opportunity. I've enjoyed every minute of it. The only skull & bones weirdness is they make you say the Pledge of Allegience...and wow! I hadn't said that regularly since elementary school. Much help with the public speaking though...getting over nervousness, unfortunately, is a practice makes perfect kind of situation.