The SPEAK™ Institute
Student Podcast Education & Knowledge
Confidence to Communicate. Courage to Lead. Character to Serve.
Every Student Has a Voice. SPEAK Helps Them Learn How to Use It.
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Helping students find their voice, build their confidence, and lead with purpose.
SPEAK™, Student Podcast Education & Knowledge, is a communications and leadership education program that uses podcasting, storytelling, public speaking, and digital media to help students develop the skills they need to communicate confidently, think critically, and lead effectively.
More Than a Microphone
Podcasting is the tool. Communication and leadership are the skills.
SPEAK gives students a hands-on environment to discover their voices and learn how to use them effectively. Through research, interviewing, storytelling, public speaking, collaboration, and podcast production, students don't simply learn how to create content—they learn how to communicate ideas, listen to others, ask thoughtful questions, and confidently share what they know.
These are skills students can carry into the classroom, college, careers, leadership, and life.
What Students Develop
Confidence to Communicate
Students learn to express ideas clearly and authentically.
Courage to Lead
Students practice leadership, decision-making, collaboration, and public speaking.
Critical Thinking
Students learn to research, ask better questions, evaluate information, and tell meaningful stories.
Character to Serve
Students learn that communication and leadership carry responsibility.
Digital & Media Literacy
Students gain hands-on experience with podcasting and digital media while learning to create and consume information thoughtfully and responsibly.
How SPEAK Works
SPEAK combines learning with doing.
Students don't just sit and listen to someone talk about communication. They practice it.
Depending on the program, students may:
Develop a podcast concept
Research topics and guests
Write and ask interview questions
Practice public speaking and active listening
Learn storytelling and message development
Record podcast conversations
Explore audio and digital-media production
Work collaboratively as a production team
Present or showcase their work
Programming can be customized based on student age, learning objectives, group size, and the needs of the school or organization.
Who We Serve
SPEAK programming is designed for young people and can be adapted for different ages, learning environments, and educational goals.
We partner with:
Schools & School Districts
Colleges & Universities
After-School Programs
Summer Programs
Youth-Serving Nonprofits
Community Organizations
Whether students are discovering their voices for the first time or preparing for college, careers, and leadership, SPEAK helps them develop communication skills that extend far beyond the microphone.
Bring SPEAK to Your Students
Every student deserves opportunities to be heard and the skills to make what they say matter.
The SPEAK Institute partners with schools and organizations to create engaging educational experiences centered on communication, leadership, storytelling, critical thinking, and digital media.
Interested in bringing SPEAK to your school, campus, youth program, or organization?
Invest in the Next Generation of Voices
SPEAK also welcomes partnerships with corporations, foundations, community organizations, educators, media professionals, and individuals who believe in preparing young people to communicate confidently and lead effectively.
Partners can help expand student access to instruction, technology, equipment, educational materials, mentors, and transformative learning experiences.
Become a SPEAK PARTNER
The SPEAK Institute is a Texas nonprofit corporation organized for charitable and educational purposes and is pursuing recognition of federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
