黑料专区 150 kids, tweens, and teens, and more than 50 professionals participated at the annual Speak UP workshop of the UP Diliman Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts (DSCTA).
Conducted in the first two weeks of June, the workshop鈥攚hich aims to develop the participants鈥 confidence and communication skills鈥攆eatured more explorative approaches and activities this year.
Holden Kenneth Alcazaren, an assistant professor at the DSCTA; department coordinator for research, creative work, and extension; and head organizer of this year鈥檚 Speak UP, said the facilitators鈥 more explorative outlook toward extension endeavors 鈥渋s a good insight that suggests how the growth of such engagements should be informed by constant reflection and reinvention to align with the needs of the public.鈥
The annual workshop is a vital extension endeavor of the department and the University, directly fulfilling UP鈥檚 public service mandate to make high-quality communication and performance education accessible and inclusive to a broader community.
This initiative translates DSCTA鈥檚 academic, research, and artistic expertise into practical, age-specific programs.
Since reopening after the pandemic in 2024, Speak UP has guided kids ages 5 to 8 years old through storytelling and performance to build early self-confidence, coached tweens (ages 9 to 12) in basic public speaking, train teens (ages 13 to 17) in advanced public speaking and argumentation, and equip professionals (ages 18 and up) with high impact workplace presentation skills.
鈥淚n today鈥檚 fast-paced, highly digitized world, these skills are more critical than ever,鈥 said Marielle Justine C. Sumilong, an assistant professor at DSCTA, sharing her insight as a Speak UP facilitator. 鈥淲hile kids and teens learn to ground themselves, articulate original ideas, and cultivate genuine empathy away from their screens, professionals gain the precise verbal, nonverbal, and persuasive tools needed to cut through corporate noise, advocate for their ideas, and lead with clarity and confidence,鈥 she added.
This year鈥檚 Speak UP was held from June 1 to 11 for kids, tweens, and teens; and from June 6 and 13 for professionals.
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