Public speaking program at Lincoln Elementary shows kids ‘your voices matter here.’

On a Thursday afternoon at Lincoln Elementary School, about 15 fifth graders are standing in the front of the classroom.

There’s a nervous energy and some giggling. 

“Hands at your sides. Nice and loud,” says their instructor, Maribel Lopez. She encourages them with a smile.

One by one, they step up and say their names. They’re part of a new after-school program at the school that teaches students what it’s like to speak in front of a room full of people. Some speak quickly, others pause before starting. The exercise is meant to build confidence.

Lopez is the senior director of programs at The Practice Space, a Richmond nonprofit that teaches public speaking in K-12 schools.

The Practice Space aims to make public speaking opportunities more accessible in East Bay schools. Founder and Executive Director AnnMarie Baines said the nonprofit matches public speaking coaches with schools. Funding comes from both The Practice Space and the school. In 2024, The Practice Space served nearly 1,000 program participants, most of them students, along with some adults seeking public speaking training.

“Our goal is to make sure those opportunities reach students who might not otherwise have access,” Baines said.

Public speaking is often treated as an extracurricular activity, but a study by the American Educational Research Association found that students in speech and debate programs have higher test scores and are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college. 

James Kass, former executive director of Youth Speaks, a nonprofit that uses spoken word to support youth development and literacy, said once young people feel the impact their words can have on others, something shifts. 

“They learn that they have a right to inform the conversation,” said Kass, who now heads KALW Public Media.

Helping students feel brave

Lopez, a former elementary school teacher in the West Contra Costa Unified School District, began working with The Practice Space three years ago but has been involved with the organization as a parent for more than a decade.

The work is rooted in her own experiences. A 1998 Richmond High School graduate, Lopez grew up speaking Spanish and remembers feeling hesitant to speak up in school.

At Lincoln Elementary, Lopez guides students in presenting in front of peers, working in groups and learning how to make a clear point. Lopez said the goal is confidence, not competition.

“We’re not trying to create perfect speakers,” Lopez said. “We’re trying to help students feel brave.”

Of the 15 students participating that Thursday, 12 were English learners. Lopez said the instruction provides a level of freedom and empowerment, since students don’t have to worry about grammar in this setting. Lopez designed the curriculum to help English language learners feel comfortable expressing themselves in both languages. 

“They might start off in English and then put in a little bit of Spanish,” Lopez said. “But they were sharing their point and they felt empowered.” 

Lopez reminds her class that each speaker deserves attention and encouragement. 

“Your voices matter here,” she says. “That’s what we’re practicing.”

On this particular day, she’s leading the class alongside her 19-year-old daughter, Sofia Lopez, a Practice Space alum. They’re teaching a simple three-point presentation structure: pick a topic or activity and present three reasons why it’s important or fun. Students share things they love like soccer and Roblox.

After the presentations, Lopez calls on her daughter to talk about the ways public speaking shows up in her daily life as a community college student.

“It’s helped me make more friends, and talk to my teachers and professors more,” Sofia says.

Lopez hopes these Lincoln fifth graders will gain that confidence and carry it into middle school, high school and beyond.

“When they leave here,” Lopez said, “I want them to know they belong in any space.”

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