Description 

Please note, this is not a one-time workshop or webinar. Due to high demand and to benefit all participants, your full commitment to this 7-week online course is essential. See the requirements for more information. 

Enhance your public speaking and presentation skills for a variety of audiences and formats through this dynamic course. You’ll gain practical strategies to boost your confidence, effectively engage your audience, and design inclusive visuals. By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to deliver a compelling speech on a topic of your choice, supported by personalized feedback and peer support. 

Learning Outcomes 

As a result of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Identify and articulate personal goals and specific skills needed to develop confidence and effectiveness with public speaking. 

• Design and implement a personalized preparation plan to enhance the delivery of speeches and presentations. 

• Present a short speech with visuals on a topic of their choice, applying best practices of engagement, interactivity, and inclusivity. 

Requirements 

Before registering, please ensure you meet the following requirements: 

Do I have the necessary equipment? 
A device with a camera and microphone is required for live sessions and key assignments. 

How will I participate?  

You will attend two required online synchronous meetings; see additional date information below. 

You will log into the course regularly and spend 1-2 hours each week completing asynchronous work, consisting of: 

• Engaging with readings, videos, and other media  
• Contributing to discussion boards  
• Recording short videos of yourself speaking 
• Providing peer feedback  

Dates 

When you register, you will choose one date for each of the following online meetings. 

Kick-off meeting: 

• Monday, March 31, 2-3 pm 
• Monday, March 31, 7-8 pm 

In addition, you will also attend a 2-hour closing meeting: 

• Friday, May 16, 2-4 pm 
• We will add an evening time for the closing meeting if needed.  

Location

The opening and closing meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. 

A reminder email with the login link will be sent to all registrants by the instructor

• If you did not receive the reminder email, please check your spam folder as it may be filtered there.
• If you do not find the email, please contact jane@masslibsystem.org.

Accessibility

The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) strives to create inclusive and accessible events. To request a reasonable accommodation to attend this event, please contact Sarah Donnelly (Event & Project Manager) at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org or 508-357-2121 ext. 301. All reasonable accommodation requests should be made no fewer than two (2) weeks before the event, although we will attempt to fulfill reasonable requests made after that time.