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Activities for High School Speeches

For high school students, giving a speech is one of the most dreaded class assignments. Once students overcome their initial fear of public speaking, however, many community activities let them put their speeches to good work. If public speaking becomes a student's forte, entering in oratorical contests or even competing in a speech league may be good options.
  1. Give the Speech for a Library

    • Libraries tend to allow weekly storytelling times, and will generally allow a student to prepare a speech in advance. If your speech is suitable for children, you might present it for the youth in the library. If the speech is more advanced, you could consider presenting it for one of the many groups that meet at the library.

    Present the Speech to a Local Retirement Home

    • Retirement homes are always in need of students to visit and give back to the community. Retirement home speeches are a great way for students to practice their communication skills while spending time with those who need companionship. Students may want to shorten or tailor their speeches to fit the audience's needs.

    Join a High School Speech League

    • Several high school speech leagues exist. If students are confident about their own speeches, they can enter them in one of the many speech leagues that are available. Or the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association, or the NCFCA, is specifically available for home school students to compete. The National Forensics League, or the NFL, is available for public, private, and home school students. For public school students, statewide leagues typically exist.

    Enter a Scholarship Contest

    • Writing and presenting speeches can also help you pay for college. There are several oratorical contests that give students who prepare excellent speeches college scholarships. If your speech fits under one of the available categories, your high school homework could help pay for tuition costs. Some of the most popular oratorical scholarship contests include the American Legion and Voice of Democracy speech competitions.

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