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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Boost your speech skills

Enhance your public speaking with personalized coaching tailored to your needs

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Speech-writing tips for high school students

by Daniella Dautrich | May 29, 2017 | High school , Teaching Homeschool Writing

Speech-writing Tips for Students

Speech writing offers a rare chance for students to impact an audience in lasting, meaningful ways. Through this kind of written and oral communication, they can learn to convey truth in a world with where morals are blurred and virtues are disappearing. Thus, speech writers combine narrative, descriptive, explanatory, and persuasive skills, arranging a composition to make both logical and emotional appeals . After all, rhetoric (the art of persuasion) should engage the whole person, not just the mind or heart.

Even if your kids will never enroll in a speech and debate club, encourage them to present an original speech in a group setting such as a class, family gathering, or graduation party. These speech-writing tips for students should help them get started!

The Prewriting Stage

When you write a speech, the prewriting stage represents about a third of the entire process.

• Choose a topic you feel strongly about. If you don’t care about the subject matter, neither will your audience.
• Evaluate your potential audience. Will you speak to a mixed group of teenagers or to a room of retirees? What are their values and interests? What kinds of music and cultural references will they relate to?
• Understand your purpose. Are you writing a speech to entertain, inform, or persuade? If you intend to persuade, are you trying to reach a like-minded or neutral audience or an openly hostile group?
• Research and brainstorm. Start gathering your facts and examples, and make a list of possible talking points.

The Writing Stage

Writing the first draft should consume about 20% of your time as a speech writer.

• Develop a “hook.” You need to capture the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech and motivate them to keep listening. A humorous story or a startling statistic may serve this purpose, depending on the type of speech you’re writing.
• Construct a thesis . Your speech should present a clear message, with each sub-point logically leading to the final conclusion.
• Build a relationship with the audience . Establish your credibility as a speaker by demonstrating your connection to the topic. Did a hobby, a favorite author, or a family experience lead you to choose this subject?
• Organize your ideas . Offer a preview of what’s to come in the introduction, and be sure you follow those points in order.
• Finish with a strong conclusion . When you reach the end of your speech, restate your thesis and tie everything back to your introduction.

The Editing Stage

The editing stage requires another third of your time as a speech writer. As you revise, check for these items:

• Grammar . Poor writing could cause an audience to stop taking you seriously , even if your main message is solid.
• Style. In the writing stage, you focused on substance (what to say); now you can focus on style (how to say it). Without resorting to overdone “ purple prose ,” you can practice writing techniques such as parallelism , repetition, alliteration, and series or lists.
• Time. Read your speech out loud. It shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes.
• Sound. When you read the speech aloud, do you stumble over unnatural words and phrases? Perhaps you need to rewrite with more direct, simple language. Is your flow of thoughts easy to understand? Is your vocabulary appropriate to the audience’s age and education?
• Appeal to the senses. Your speech should engage the imagination—not put people to sleep! Do you use figurative language to help the audience visualize concepts? Include a descriptive passage to help them hear, feel, and touch your topic. Try to include narratives that people will identify with. You don’t need too many details… just enough to make the stories ring true and help you explain your persuasive points or morals.
• Organization. You can arrange your speech chronologically, topically, by comparison/contrast, or in some other way. Just be sure you’re consistent.
• Politeness . Have you used appropriate language throughout? Have you written with respect for yourself and others? The best speeches display compassion and empathy, rather than tear others down.

The Pre-Performance Stage

Once you’ve written and revised your speech, it’s time to practice! Try to memorize it, and watch your speed so you don’t speak too quickly. Practice in front of a mirror so you remember to move naturally, incorporating hand/arm gestures and facial expressions. Experiment with volume, high and low pitch, and pauses (take notes about what works and what doesn’t.)

Finally, have confidence ! Stage fright is part of life, but the greatest performers have learned that passion and honesty set the speaker—and the audience—at ease every time.

Daniella Dautrich studied classical rhetoric at a liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan.

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Speech And Debate

Speech Writing

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

How to Write a Speech - Outline With Example

By: Cordon J.

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Sep 8, 2020

Giving a speech for a class, event or work can be nerve-wracking. However, writing an effective speech can boost your confidence level.

A speech is an effective medium to communicate your message and speech writing is a skill that has its advantages even if you are a student or a professional.

With careful planning and paying attention to small details, you can write a speech that will inform, persuade, entertain or motivate the people you are writing for.

If this is your first speech. Take all the time you need.

Like other skills, you can learn speech writing too.

Give yourself enough time to write and practice it several times for the best possible results.

On this Page

You have a message that you want people to hear or you are preparing a speech for a particular situation such as a commemorative speech.

No matter what the case, it is important to ensure that the speech is well structured or else you will fail to deliver your effective message. And you don’t want that, do you?

You can also explore our complete guide to  write a commemorative speech . Make sure to give the article a thorough read.

How to Create a Speech Outline?

Want to write a speech your audience will remember? A speech outline is a thing you should start with.

‘How to write a speech outline?’

A speech outline is very important in helping you sound more authoritative and in control. As you write your speech outline you will have to focus on how you will introduce yourself, your topic, and the points that you will be going to cover.

A speech outline will save a lot of your time and will help you organize your thoughts. It will make sure the speech is following a proper structure and format.

Before you start writing your own speech you need to know:

• WHO you are writing the speech for
• WHAT the speech will be going to cover
• HOW long it needs to be e.g if it is a 5-minute speech (then how many words in a 5-minute speech)

These speech tips will help you get on the right track from the start. Here is an example of how you can craft a speech outline.

Preparation

• Choose your topic and the main points that your speech will cover. Know your audience and get to know what they are looking for. Pay attention to their needs
• Define the purpose of the speech and properly organize it

Introduction

• A strong statement to grab the reader’s attention
• Refine the thesis statement
• State something that establishes credibility
• Provide your main idea and include some supporting statements.
• Examples and further details (if needed)
• Summarize the main points of the speech
• Closing statement
• Call to action

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write an Effective Speech?

‘How to write a graduation speech?’

‘How to write a speech for school?’

‘How to write a speech about yourself?’

Get your answers in the below sections.

Just like essays, the speech also follows three sections: Introduction, the main body, and conclusion.

However, unlike essays, a speech must be written to be heard as opposed to just being read. It is important to write a speech in a way that can grab the reader’s attention and helps in painting a mental image.

It is the opening statement of a speech. It is important to know how to start a speech that can grab the attention of the audience.

‘How to write a speech introduction?’

It should include a hook-grabber statement about your topic. It should end with a strong transition from a big idea of the introduction to the main body of the essay. Some great ways to begin your speech are, to begin with, a rhetorical question, a quote, or another strong statement.

Make sure the introduction is not more than one paragraph. This will ensure you do not spend much time on the background before getting to the main idea of the topic.

The introduction is a great chance to make sure your opening is memorable as this is the point when your audience will make up their mind about you.

The Main body

The majority of the speech should be spent presenting your thesis statement and supporting ideas in an organized way.

Avoid rambling as it will immediately lose your audience’s attention. No need to share everything, instead pick some points and stick to them throughout your speech.

Organize your points in a logical manner so they support and build on each other. Add as many points as needed to support the overall message of your speech.

State each point clearly and provide all the required information, facts, statistics, and evidence, to clarify each of your points.

It is a good idea to include your personal experiences to make your speech more interesting and memorable.

Another important thing to be kept in mind is the use of transition. The purpose of adding transition words is to improve the overall flow of the information and help the reader to understand the speech structure. Words like next, then, after, before, at that moment, etc. are the most commonly used transition words to make the whole writing less choppy and more interesting.

The conclusion should restate and summarize all the main points of the speech. Because the audience will most likely remember what they have heard last. Beautifully wrap up the whole speech and give something for the audience to think about.

For an extra element, close your speech by restating the introduction statement so it feels like a complete package.

A good approach to conclude your speech is to introduce a call to action. Encourage your audience to participate in the solution to the problem that you are discussing. Give your audience some direction on how they can participate.

Practice and more practice is key to a great speech so it is important that you read your speech and listen to yourself. When writing, take care of the required length also.

Speech Topics - Engaging Topics to Choose From

You feel relief when your teacher says you are free to choose your speech topic. Feel free to write about anything you want. The problem is students still feel stuck in choosing an effective speech topic. If you are one of them, here is a list of the best speech ideas to help you get through the process.

• What role do cats play in human’s lives
• How to improve communication disorders
• World’s fastest-growing country
• Today’s world pollution rate
• How to improve interpersonal skills
• Are paper books better than e-books
• Should the death penalty be abolished
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote
• Should voting be made compulsory
• Is it better to live together before marriage

These are some of the interesting topics that you can consider. However, if you are still not sure about the topic of your speech, you can explore our article on  informative speech topics  and pick any of your choices.

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Speech Example

Stressing over on how to write a good speech? Speech examples are sure to be your best friend for effective speech writing and its effortless delivery.

Here is a sample speech example to help you get through your own speech writing process. Explore this example and get the answer on how to give a good speech.

Get Professional Help for Your Speech

If you are good at public speaking but lack writing skills or you do not have enough time to follow the mentioned points and write a speech, don't worry.

You can always contact us at 5StarEssays.com.

We have a highly qualified and amazing team of expert writers who can help you if you want to buy speeches online with high-quality content.

Contact our " write my essay " service with your requirements. Our essay writer will provide you with quality material that your audience will remember for a long time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best introduction for a speech.

The best way to open a speech’s introduction is, to begin with, a story. Tell an inspiring story to your audience and connect it with your personal narrative.

What is the first step of speech writing?

The first step of writing a speech is to choose a topic. Choosing a good topic is important to have an engaging and great speech.

What are the five steps in speech writing?

Here are the five steps involved in writing a speech.

• Choose a topic.
• Investigate your audience.
• Built an outline.
• Rehearse the speech.
• Revise and finalize.

What are the types of speech delivery?

Here are the types of speech delivery.

• Extemporaneous

What are the two P’s required for good speech delivery?

The two P’s required for proper speech delivery are Preparation and Practice.

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• Informative Speech Topics - Interesting Ideas By Experts

• Commemorative Speech: Guide to Craft an Engaging Speech

• Persuasive Speech Topics - 150+ Topics for Students

• 50+ Demonstration Speech Ideas for Your Next Great Speech

• Impromptu Speech Topics - 150+ Interesting Ideas

• Debate Topics (2024) - Top 200+ Compelling Topics

• 100+ Motivational Speech Topics for an Inspirational Speech

• Extemporaneous Speech - How to Write One Successfully?

• Graduation Speech - Write Your Best Graduation Speech

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How To Write A Speech On Education (With Sample Speech)

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.” 

These words by Nelson Mandela pretty much sum up the importance of education in the life of human beings. Without education, human beings wouldn’t have arrived at the stage they are right now, and it is unlikely that we will be able to continue our missions to space progressively without education. 

And yet the truth remains that many, many people across the world do not have the right or ability to receive an education. Many of these people might be able to do great things if only they had the means to do so.

In such a scenario, it becomes important to spread awareness about education. Delivering speeches is one of the best ways to do so, as through speeches one can make a more personal connection with the people attending & make it more likely that they will actually do something about it.

However, it’s also true that education is a topic that many, many people have spoken about. In such a scenario, you might find yourself wondering what you can do to make your speech stand apart from all the ones that came before. 

Don’t worry, that’s what we’re here to help you with.

By keeping in mind a few things like finding a unique angle, incorporating stories and props, making sure to include concrete elements, and making your audience go beyond listening to feel something, you can easily deliver an unforgettable speech on education.

Tips To Keep In Mind While Writing A Speech About Education 

1. Find A Unique Angle 

Education is a topic that people have spoken about time and again. What this means is that if you deliver a speech about education without adding a different point of view to it, then the chances are your audience is going to find your speech bland or boring and not pay attention.

So, find a unique angle for the speech. Draw on your personal experiences and ask yourself: is there anything about this topic that I can see but others can’t?

2. Include Concrete Elements 

Concrete details or elements include things like facts, statistics, etc. 

If you don’t include concrete elements in your speech, then chances are that your speech will become abstract and hard to believe really fast.

So, make sure to back up your arguments with relevant information. 

Wondering how to add facts to your speech without making it drab? Check out our article on 11 Steps To Add Facts To A Speech Without Making It Boring.

3. Use Language & Concepts Familiar To The Audience

Often, speakers have this misconception that the bigger or more difficult words they use, the better or smarter they’re going to sound. This cannot be further from the truth.

While using complicated words or concepts might make you sound smarter, they also increase the chances that you won’t be able to formulate a connection with the audience. 

After all, if they can’t understand what they’re saying, how will they connect with it?

4. Incorporate Storytelling & Props 

Stories are a GREAT way to make your speech more personal and engaging. And props, if used alongside your story, can take it to the next level. 

So, make sure to incorporate appropriate personal stories and props in your speech. Make sure that your prop is relevant to the speech, and not merely an accessory. 

5. Make Them Feel, Not Just Hear 

If you truly want your audience to be impacted by your speech, then you need to make them feel more deeply about it. You need to make them go beyond hearing and actually feel for you and the topic. 

This can be done by sprinkling throughout your speech elements like humor, stories, props, videos, real-life testimonials, interacting with them…

The list goes on. 

What matters is going above and beyond. You want to make your words mean more than their meaning. 

6. Use Humor

Humor is a great way to take any speech to the next level. Like stories, jokes are a great way to form a connection with the audience and make your speech more memorable.

However, one thing to keep in mind here is to make sure that your humor is relevant to the topic at hand. Don’t just add jokes for the sake of adding them: make sure that they relate to your speech in some way.

7. Don’t Have Too Many Points

While it’s important to make sure that your speech covers all aspects that it needs to cover, you don’t have to include too many points in your speech. This will make it difficult for the audience to figure out what, exactly, is the central theme or main message that you want them to take away.

You can have one or two key takeaways and divide those main points into multiple individual points. This will allow for better structure of your speech, whilst also making it easier to view it from multiple angles.

Ways To Begin Your Speech On Education 

1. Open With A Story 

This is a tried and tested way to open your speech. As mentioned before, it’s imperative you incorporate stories into your speech if you wish to make a personal connection with the audience and make them feel for your speech.

And what better place to add a story than right at the opening of your speech? 

For example:  My parents spent their entire savings on my brother’s education, but for me, they wouldn’t even spare a…

For more ideas on how to incorporate stories in your speech, check out our article on 9 Storytelling Approaches For Your Next Speech Or Presentation.

2. Make Them Go ‘A-Ha’ 

Another awesome way to open your speech is by surprising your audience. This will awaken them, and snap their attention to where it needs to be: on you. 

This adds doubly to your credit if your speech is on a seemingly monotonous topic like education where the audience enters with certain expectations about the speech already in place. 

There are many ways to do this. Stories with a twist are one. Another would be incorporating a joke. Yet another way would be to pull out a prop. Or you could even say a surprising statement that seems to go against the topic when you first hear it.

For example:  I don’t think education is important. Unless…

3. Common-Ground Open 

A common ground opening is imperative if there is a gap between you and your audience. If, for example, you’re an aged professor from a reputed university and the audience is teenagers from a local high school, then there are going to be gaps in how you and the audience perceive the world. 

You can bridge this gap in a couple of ways. One would be making a personal connection or making them see that you are similar in certain aspects. This can be done by using humor, incorporating stories, or even making a pop culture reference. You can also open with a shared goal or interest. 

For example:  When I was in high school, all I wanted to do was get out of it.

4. Open With A Show Of Hands 

Another great way to open your speech is by asking questions–particularly show of hands questions. 

This works in two ways: asking the question piques your audience’s attention and gets their thoughts rolling. On the other hand, show-of-hands provides them with a chance to move their body, which aids in making them more aware of their surroundings i.e you. 

For example:  How many of you wish you could get out of this classroom right now?

5. Open With An Image Or Prop 

Images tell stories. And stories, as mentioned above, are one of the best ways to open your speech. 

You can open your speech by showing the audience an image of something and then asking them a question about it or presenting a startling fact about it. Alternatively, you could also open your speech by employing a relevant prop. 

For example:  Start off with an image of a refugee in a school.

Need more inspiration for how to open your speech? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Opening Remarks.

Sample Speech On Education

Title: The Missing Ramp

On a school field trip in grade 3, I met my long lost twin. Or so I thought, anyway. The boy I met wasn’t actually my twin by blood. But he was my exact replica in every other aspect: from the color of our hair and eyes to the kind of jokes we liked to make and the cartoons we loved to watch and the fact that we both felt a little out of place in the big strange world. We were similar in more aspects than we could count, more than I can remember now. However, we were significantly different in one important aspect: While I was a ten year old, happy-go-lucky kid that hated going to school, he was a ten year old, happy go-lucky kid for whom school was a distant dream. You see, Andrew–the boy I thought was my twin–had a locomotor disability. He had to use a weelchair to be able to move around. However, there was only one school in our little town, and the school had no ramps or elevators, making it impossible for him to navigate by himself the five floors that it comprised. Not only this, but there were no washrooms available for him, either. His mother could not afford to lose her job in town, not with the already soaring cost of his treatement. Her meagre salary meant that a private tutor was out of question. Besides, she thought, what was the point of uprooting her entire life to move to another town or city when–according to her–there was no point in educating her child when he could not do anything with it? And so, despite the fact that he was perfectly capable of learning at par with the rest of us, Andrew never got an education. Imagine that. Imagine being unable to go to school when all the other kids around you are doing so because the school does not have a ramp. It sounds absurd, right? However strange or unreal it may sound, it’s the reality of the lives of many, many children with disabilities. It’s not that they’re unwilling to learn or their parents are unwilling to send them to school. It’s the lack of facilities–many of which the rest of us take for granted–which make it impossible for them to attend school. And even when the facilities are available. Even then, many, many children with disabilites are unable to achieve the education that is their basic right. An estimated one in three out-of-school children have a disability. There are between 93 million and 150 million children with disabilities worldwide. And yet, WHO estimates that in many, many countries across the world, having a disability more than doubles the chances of a child never attending school. While accessibility remains the key factor that inhibits children with disabilities from attending school, there are many, many other factors that come into play. Inflexible teacher training & support is another factor that comes into play. As does inflexible curriculum and poor structure and plan. However, another key factor that prevents children with disabilites from attending school has less to do with the physical elements of education, and more with the mindset and mentality of other people. That is, it has to do with the attitude of children and teachers in school towards children with disabilites. Often, children with disabilites are scorned and made fun of by their peers. And this is not limited to students alone. The teachers, too, might share a callous attitiude and be inflexible in their approach. I had a teacher in my school who refused to change her ‘ alphabetical seating plan’ to allow a deaf girl sit in the first bench so that she could lip-read her instructions. What this means is that many times, the children themseleves might not be willing to go to school from the fear of how their peers and teachers might react to or treat them. While delivering speeches about making education accessible to all or how it is the fundamental right of every person, we tend to make grand statements and all the big steps that we need to–or should–take in order to actually make education more accessible to people. And yet, while making all those grandoise proclamations, we often overlook the little steps that each and every single one of us needs to take. In seeing the ‘big picture’, we ignore the all the little snapshots that go into making it. And yet, it is this little things that make the most difference. A missing ramp–that’s all it took to make a child miss out on his dream of going to school. I don’t think any words sum up my words better than something Annie Campbell said: “We can teach our children to flap their wings, but conditions have to be just right for them to fly.” Our children are ready to take the leap and fly. Now it is upon us to determine what the sky will be like: full or rain or brimming with sunshine.

Different Angles To Cover Your Speech From

There are many different angles to cover your speech from. Some of them have been mentioned below.

• Accessibility Of Education
• The Digital Divide
• Peer Pressure
• Online Education vs. Offline Education
• Education Of Girl Child
• Education Schemes
• Mental Health Of Students
• Effectiveness Of Curriculum
• Classroom Learning vs. Real Life Experiences
• Teaching Strategies
• Education For People With Disabilities
• Bullying In Schools
• Importance Of Physical Education For Students
• Vocational Studies & Their Importance
• Rising Cost Of Education
• Privatization Of Education
• Factors Affecting Student Performance
• Importance Of Arts & Language Education
• Importance Of Field Trips
• Technology In The Classroom
• Importance Of Public Speaking For Students
• Different Learning Styles
• Impact Of Social Media On Learning

Sample Speech Topics On Education

Here are some examples of topics for your speech on education.

1 What affects the performance of kids in school? 2. Significance of compulsory attendance 3. Homeschooling: Benefits and drawbacks 4. How is literacy different from education? 5. What does the future of the education industry look like? 6. How does Switzerland have the best education system? 7. How to ace college application essays? 8. Guide to optimize daily planner: Your guiding light to lead a productive life 9. Use the power of storytelling to make history lessons ‘fun’ 10. How to unlock the potential of your subconscious mind to memorize things better? 11. Beating distractions: How to make the most of online classes? 12. Sleep deprivation is not ‘cool’: How to improve your grades through proper sleep? 13. A Step-by-Step Guide to writing a stellar research paper 14. Why periodic assessment of teachers is necessary 15. The need for psychologists and therapists in school 16. Why positive peer pressure can be a game-changer 17. Why sports should be a graded component in schools 18. The need for adequate sleep 19. Why application-based learning is necessary 20. Shorter school days for the win 21. Why recreational reading is also important 22. The need for sex education in school

To conclude, while writing a speech on education, you need to make sure that your speech isn’t bland or overused. By keeping in mind a few things like finding a unique angle, incorporating stories and props, making sure to include concrete elements, and making your audience go beyond listening to feel something, you can easily deliver an unforgettable speech on education.

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100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Study Methods
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

If you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention.

The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list, or use it to generate an idea of your own. It could even be an idea that opposes the proposed example. For instance, instead of arguing American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law, you could argue why this shouldn't be the case.

How to Pick a Good Persuasive Speech Topic

Persuasive speeches are generally meant to convince an audience to agree with an idea you present. The topics can range from political to scientific or societal, and professional to personal—or even fun. They can be almost anything.

Just remember, a persuasive speech is different than a persuasive essay because you are presenting to an audience. So as you decide on a topic, think about your audience and decide on a subject matter that will be appropriate, compelling, and engaging to discuss. Perhaps it's a timely issue attracting a lot of news coverage, or maybe you want to be motivational and encourage a healthy activity. Whatever it is, structure your argument with a hook to capture attention , a clear definition of the topic or issue, and finally, your proposed solution or opinion.

100 Examples of Persuasive Speech Topics

• Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
• Competitive sports can teach us about life.
• Reality shows are exploiting people.
• Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
• The characteristics that make a person a hero.
• It's important to grow things in a garden.
• Violent video games are dangerous.
• Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
• Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
• Journal writing is therapeutic.
• You should spend time with your grandparents.
• A laptop is better than a tablet.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• School uniforms are good.
• All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
• Multiple-choice tests are better than essay tests .
• We should not spend money on space exploration.
• Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
• Security cameras keep us safer.
• Parents should have access to students' grades.
• Small classes are better than big classes.
• You need to start saving for retirement now.
• Credit cards are harmful to college students.
• We should have a royal family.
• We should protect endangered animals.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• You can write a novel.
• Recycling should be required in the U.S.
• State colleges are better than private colleges.
• Private colleges are better than state colleges.
• We should do away with penny coins.
• Fast food containers hurt the environment.
• Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
• You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
• You can become a millionaire.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• You should own a bird.
• It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
• Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
• Hunting animals should be banned.
• Football is a dangerous sport.
• School days should start later.
• Night school is better than day school.
• Technical training is better than a college degree.
• Immigration laws should be more lenient.
• Students should be able to choose their schools.
• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Grass lawns should be prohibited.
• Sharks should be protected.
• We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
• We should use more wind power.
• We should pay more taxes.
• We should do away with taxes.
• Teachers should be tested like students.
• We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
• Every student should join a club.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• People should stay married for life.
• Smoking in public should be illegal.
• College students should live on campus .
• Parents should let students fail.
• Giving to charity is good.
• Education makes us happier people.
• T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
• Bigfoot is real.
• We should increase train travel to save the environment.
• We should read more classic books.
• Fame is bad for young children.
• Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
• We should reform our prisons.
• Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
• Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
• Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
• College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
• Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
• Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
• All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
• Students should be required to take Spanish language classes.
• Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
• Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
• Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• The minimum drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
• Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
• Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
• The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
• America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
• Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
• Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
• Global warming is not real.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
• Middle School Debate Topics
• Controversial Speech Topics
• How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech
• High School Debate Topics
• Speech Topics to Meet Oral Communication Standards
• 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
• Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
• 50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches
• Deliberative Rhetoric
• 5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
• Impromptu Speech Activities
• 12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

How to Write a High School Graduation Speech (+ Examples)

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

I was in several clubs in high school, I was the valedictorian, and I happened to be the youngest in our graduating class. Needless to say, I had to write and give more than one speech at our graduation.

Being asked to give a graduation speech in high school is a tremendous honor and responsibility. It takes a lot of preparation, from planning to writing and editing your speech.

My guide should show you how to write a graduation speech for high school, especially with the examples I’ve included. Follow the template and tips, and you’re sure to receive a standing ovation from your audience.

How Long Is a High School Graduation Speech?

The best high school graduation speeches aren’t long and boring since the ceremonies already take hours. Aim for an address that doesn’t exceed 10 minutes. Keep your audience’s attention and save some for other people’s speeches.

Your graduation speech should only be around 500 to 600 words. You have to read it slowly and articulate the words clearly. One way to keep it shorter is by removing cliches and other unnecessary content.

High School Graduation Speech Template

Essays and speeches usually have three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a structure you can follow for a memorable high school graduation speech.

Introduction

• Thank people for attending. Acknowledge the presence of your teachers, parents, and fellow graduates.
• Introduce yourself. Not everyone in the room knows you, even if you’re the class valedictorian.
• Catch the audience’s attention by sharing a motivational quote or saying. Your personal narratives and advice will later be based on this saying.
• Recall memorable high school experiences. Anything is worth sharing, whether it’s a simple day in class or your debate competition.
• Encourage classmates not to forget these beautiful memories.
• Share helpful advice for this new chapter of their lives.
• Restate the quote or saying you mentioned in the introduction.
• End with a call to action that will encourage the graduates to make a difference.
• Thank the audience for hearing you out.

How to Write a Graduation Speech for High School

Public speaking takes a lot of preparation. Here are some tips you should follow when writing and delivering a graduation speech for high school.

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Pick a Theme

Inspirational high school graduation speeches leave a mark on people. If you want to create one, try building it around a central message.

Think about everything you experienced in high school and look for patterns. Was high school about learning from mistakes? Or was it about achieving big dreams with small steps? Consider not only what is essential to you but also what is important for your fellow graduates.

Once you have picked a theme, selecting a quote, including advice, and recalling high school memories will be much easier. Here are some popular themes you can consider using for yours, but make sure to choose ones that are relevant to you and/or your class.

• Embracing failure
• Big things take time
• Achieving big dreams with small steps
• Facing change with grace
• Overcoming adversity
• Becoming a lifelong learner
• Being more intentional and responsible for your future

Begin With Gratitude and a Self-Introduction

Once you step on stage, you must start with a few formalities. Know the name of the previous speakers and acknowledge their excellent speeches. Then, thank everyone in attendance, including the teachers, parents, and fellow students.

Say it’s a privilege to speak before the audience on this special day. This is also the best time to introduce yourself.

Don’t assume that everyone in the room knows who you are. State your name and why you were tasked to create the speech. Below is an example.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones, for the wonderful speech. And thank you to the parents, teachers, staff, and fellow graduates in this room who have made the past four years unforgettable. It’s a pleasure to stand in front of everyone and represent the class of 2022 at this address. I am [name], your class valedictorian.”

Make It About Everybody But You

Your graduation speech is not a mini-biography of your accomplishments. Only sprinkle a few personal anecdotes, then include what the four years of high school have been like for the other students. Below is an example.

“Four years ago, we were freshmen walking through the doors of [school name]. While some of us want to be doctors, artists, engineers, and singers in the future, we all had one goal in mind during that time: to leave a mark on the school in the next four years.”

Recall High School Memories

Tap the ceremony’s nostalgia by recalling important events from the past four years. You can include prom, school fairs, and even mundane scenarios. Include hardships, such as the sudden shift to online classes during the pandemic.

If you are a valedictorian , you should know which memories everyone treasures. Try interviewing some of your peers about their best high school memories. Below is an example.

“Every batch of graduates from [school] has a common core memory. For us, it was probably prom 2022. Instead of getting our beauty sleep the night before the dance, everyone stayed in school until 8 PM because of the last-minute changes. While that experience was full of pressure and chaos, we look back on that memory remembering teamwork and dedication.”

Share Advice

Your advice is the most crucial part of the speech. It serves as a call to action the students will follow in the future.

Make sure to keep it positive and remind everyone that anything is possible. You can also advise them to advocate for others and treat everyone equally.

Here’s an example showing what I mean.

“The future is uncertain, and the only thing we can do is be optimistic about it. We learned to stay determined in the past four years, so we can do it again throughout college or our careers.”

Incorporate Your Personality

Just because you’re speaking for the rest of the class and following an outline doesn’t mean your speech should be boring. You can still infuse your personality through humor, anecdotes , and life experiences.

You can also open your address with something funny, as long as it’s appropriate and timely. If you’re a valedictorian, self-deprecating humor will be a hit. Try adding quirky memories from classes that will immerse your audience.

Leave Your Audience Inspired

You are not at the graduation to merely receive your diploma. As a speaker, you need to leave your audience inspired on the next chapter of their lives. Encourage them to find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

Some speakers end their speeches with another quote. Here is the one I used in my high school speech, but there are tons to be found on the internet you can use that might better suit your needs.

• “All our dreams can come true… if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

Finally, thank everyone for taking the time to listen to your speech. Express gratitude toward your classmates for the memories over the last four years.

Proofread Your Work

Read your writing out loud and fix parts that don’t sound pleasing. Doing so will make your writing more powerful and precise. Look out for flowery language, excessive adjectives, and lengthy sentences.

When editing, make sure to remove cliches from your writing. These are words and phrases that have been overused in speech and writing. These include phrases like “all walks of life,” “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and “two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Try sharing more personal anecdotes and collective memories than tired pieces of advice. This will make the speech more interesting and customized for the audience. Find out what your fellow high school graduates and the rest of the audience want to hear and know, then write it concisely and effectively.

Once you’re done fixing clarity issues, it’s time to fix structural errors. Perform several edits on your speech to remove all spelling and grammar mistakes.

Practice Your High School Graduation Speech

There’s no exact formula for the perfect valedictorian or commencement speech. But if you follow my tips and examples and speak from the heart, your fellow graduates will live by your words as they go about their futures.

Remember to keep your engaging speech positive and inspiring. Recall memories from high school, then make them look forward to creating new ones in their careers or college.

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School Speech Topics: 200+ Unique Ideas

Delivering a speech is an essential part of every student’s curriculum. It requires confidence to articulate your thoughts and represent them in front of the entire school. It is a beautiful way to interact with your audience, engage with them, and add to their knowledge. This scholarly exercise helps students showcase their critical thinking, soft skills, creative writing, knowledge, viewpoints, and public speaking skills, which allows them to boost their confidence and stand out from the crowd.

The initial step of crafting a speech requires a unique school speech topic. Before starting the business of writing, students must consider their school speech topics. One should decide on their speech topics and get to the writing part as early as possible. But, sometimes, even after brainstorming for hours, students still need help deciding what topic to choose. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!

No more stomach-churning and anxiety-inducing thoughts about what topic to choose; our experts have compiled a list of excellent school speech topics. You can use these speech topics to frame an incredible piece of writing.

Table of Contents

Three Pillars of Any Speech

No matter what kind of speech you’re delivering, in all speeches, especially academic speeches, there are always three significant components. These include logic (logos), ethics (ethos), and emotions (pathos).

• Logic (Logos):-  “Logos” refers to the logical reasoning in your speech. A single link must connect all the pieces of your arguments and statements. Thus, from the introduction to the conclusion, draft logical, meaningful, and reasonable points to give substance to your opinions.
• Ethics (Ethos):  The second aspect, emotions, or ethos, signifies your ethics, morality, and believability as a speaker. Increasing your credibility will help persuade your professors or readers to accept your arguments and consider the necessary actions.
• Emotions (pathos):  Emotions play a significant role in convincing someone. It is likely the most crucial aspect of your academic speech. Emotions pique people’s interest, which motivates them to listen to your arguments and consider taking the recommended actions.

Thus, to present a unique, intriguing academic speech, students must ensure that their speeches successfully comply with all these three pillars of speech.

How to Research Speech Ideas for School

There are some fundamental suggestions that you need to follow for selecting your speech topics. These suggestions will help you navigate through the selection process. These include:

• Research and narrow down crucial topics   that would perfectly fit into a coherent speech topic. Ensure that the selected topic is suitable to enhance your abilities and interact with your audience.
• The next step is to identify your targeted audience .  Knowing your audience’s demographics will enable you to choose a subject that will capture the audience’s   attention from the start. Ensure to be more aligned with the audience’s   general areas of interest.
• Ensure that your selected topic is not leading your audience in distinct directions where they will find it hard to follow your speech flow.
• When you’ve selected your educational speech topics, follow the answers to these 5 Ws to ensure you’re on the right track:
• Who is affected by your topic or problem?
• Why is this subject significant? What drives the exploration of it?
• What regions of the world does the topic affect, or where is it located?
• When and how was/is this subject discussed? Is time a crucial component?
• What is the most crucial argument or point of view?
• The next step is to understand your audience.   Knowing your audience’s demographics will enable you to choose a subject that will capture attention from the start and be more in line with general areas of interest.
• Keep things interesting for yourself and your audience.   Speeches can be tedious. Choose a creative, exciting topic to keep your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

200+ Captivating School Speech Topics

Writing a speech requires coming up with a brilliant topic and then articulating your thoughts and knowledge in a systematic and disciplined manner. Either teacher assigns students their topics for speeches, or students might have the opportunity to select for themselves.

Below is a list of 200+ great speech topics for high school students that can help you draft a powerful speech.

Speech Topics for High School Students

For high school students, the scope of research extends to another level. They can do research on anything and anyone they want. There are numerous topics for speeches that could be interesting to you. Look through the list of topics below to see if you can find something that interests you.

• The 1917 Spanish flu
• The opioid outbreak in the United States
• Ignorance is bliss
• The Salem witch trials
• Cruelty in animal testing laboratories
• How do books make a difference?
• Fashion in Victorian Britain
• Modern politics, culture, and society
• Racial discrimination in the workforce
• The power of satire in comedy
• Censorship issues in the film industry
• Classical mythology in popular cultures
• Superhero culture in society
• Body donation for medical science: why and why not?
• Depletion of the ozone layer
• What is the reason for deforestation in developing countries?
• Waste management from a global perspective
• Water-saving agriculture in China: an overview
• Why do endangered species matter?

Read Also – Top 100 Position Paper Topics

Persuasive Speech Ideas for Students

Persuasive speech is crafted to persuade individuals to believe in something or do something irrespective of their traditional beliefs. It is the type of speech that revolves around everything, whether it’s arguing about politics or talking about a balanced diet.Below are some engaging, persuasive speech topics for students. Use this list to get inspired and craft a fantastic speech:

• Impact of marketing on individuals and their perception
• Effect of peer pressure on students’ mental health
• Are zoos ethical? Why animals should not be kept in zoos
• Strategies involving students’ interest in learning
• Critical global issues: what is the biggest threat to the world?
• The past, present, and future of recycling
• Conservation of oil and natural gas
• Understanding the importance of water reservations
• Why is global warming still a threat to human health?
• Advertising standards: advertising should be more regulated.
• Why has Indonesia banned palm oil exports?
• How can television once again be instructive and beneficial?
• The truth about political correctness: the two-fold connection of liberalism
• Euthanizing stray animals: is it ethical?
• How our differences make us unique
• The importance of delegation
• Technology dependency among teenagers
• Benefits of conserved oil
• Search engine technologies are replacing traditional research methods.
• Is graffiti art or vandalism?

Informative Speech Ideas for School Students

An informative speech is a type of speech that is crafted by centralizing people, events, places, news, things, or processes. This speech is entirely and exclusively focused on facts.

Thus, in simple words, an informative speech imparts knowledge to the audience regarding a particular subject. If you’re thinking of drafting an informative speech, then here are some topic suggestions you can consider:

• The importance of the arts for students
• The life cycle dynamics of ocean animals
• Customer satisfaction surveys in the business world
• A prohibition on advertisements that depict violence, ragging, or body shaming to gain TRPs.
• Relationship between religion and Education
• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
• Why one shouldn’t be afraid of their competitors
• The psychology of colors: the effects of colors on behavior
• Self-tanner has real-world adverse effects.
• Antipodes map: tunnel to the other side of the world
• Overweight and obesity
• Owning a pet: things to know
• Could fining parents cut childhood obesity?
• Ancient and Asiatic horse breeds
• The history and present of the ivory trade
• Causes of deforestation in developing countries
• Causes and effects of overpopulation
• medical dangers of consuming nicotine
• Sexual prejudice in sports

Read Also – Top 100 +Group Discussion Topics

Arts & Culture Speech Topics for High School Students

Here we’ve compiled a catalog of some outstanding arts and culture speech topics to help you frame a memorable speech:

• Culture and nationalism
• The importance of multicultural Education
• Graffiti should be considered an art.
• Preserving traditional games as cultural treasures
• Classic literature readings versus modern e-books
• Art and music therapy
• The economics of art museums
• The importance of music and the arts for young minds
• The E-Library Culture

Incredible School Speech Topics for English & Classical Literature

If you’re a literature student or are keen to study literature or English, then you can look at these below-given school speech topics connected with English and literature.

• Keats, the man, medicine, and poetry
• Women writers who shaped American literature in the twentieth century
• Resolving writer’s block
• Shakespeare’s role in shaping the modern language
• Evaluating Ernest Hemingway’s narratives for promoting toxic masculinity
• The history of book bans in the United States
• Symbolism in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
• Which current literature will endure as classical literature in the future?
• Pride and prejudice: the limits of societies
• Understanding Virginia Woolf as a feminist
• Contemporary movies that depict works of classic literature
• The role of Lady Macbeth in the downfall of Macbeth
• contribution of women in shaping early American literature
• Romanticism in the 18th-century British literature
• The status of women in 20th-century English society
• Male dominancy in the texts of early British literature
• An examination of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Understanding power and identity in Gothic literature
• Agatha Christie as the first lady of crime
• The post-romantic and Victorian eras

Read Also – 100+ Anthropology Research Paper Topics

School Speech Topics Regarding Current Affairs and Social Issues

Finding exciting topics regarding current affairs or social issues is pretty straightforward. Crafting a speech around current and social events will have an exceptionally significant impact on your audience. Carefully analyze each topic in the following list:

• White nationalism
• What lessons have we learned from the pandemic?
• The Occupy Wall Street movement
• Afghani women under Taliban rule
• Modern protest culture
• Israel-Palestine relations
• Ukraine and Russia are at war.
• Liberalism vs socialism
• The Me Too movement
• Role of the UN in protecting human rights
• “Viral” culture in today’s society
• Black Lives Do Matter.
• Anti-hijab protests in Iran
• Human rights as a western construct
• A Green New Deal
• Tortured justice: no pain, no gain?
• Syrian civil war
• Global human trafficking: a 2022 report
• Generational divisions between Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Generation Z
• DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Politics, Law, and Business Related School Speeches Ideas

Writing a speech regarding politics, law, or business can be complicated. Despite their interest in these subjects, students chose them as speech topics. While watching current events or the news can be advantageous, you can also analyze the below-given list for some inspiration:

• Marketing niches: is it beneficial for your business?
• The role of elections in a democracy
• Understanding the influence of social media on shaping political campaigns
• Political ideologies that shook the world
• Analyzing the government’s role in combating the environment
• The future of small businesses
• Business performance management
• Unorthodox business ideas
• Anti-trust policies and provisions
• Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
• America is not a democracy.
• An overview of activity-based management in businesses
• Gender-based discrimination in the workplace
• Youth and politics: youth participation in changing the world
• The business world has forgotten competitive marketing skills.
• Democracy vs communalism
• Image of “Justice” in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment
• Modelling the impact of AI on the global economy
• Emerging issues in the private panel institutions

Speech Topic Suggestions on Psychology

Today, psychology is a highly contentious issue. Many students are interested in learning more about psychological issues. Therefore, consider creating your speech around psychology. Check out our collection of topics!

• Mental health issues and war veterans
• Why does human multitasking fail?
• Drug Addiction Hypnotherapy
• The impact of media and peers on eating disorders among children
• impact of social media on our mental health
• The psychology behind cults
• Sigmund Freud’s Theories: Simply Psychology
• Social determinants of mental health
• The psychology of sleep paralysis
• Cognitive approaches to insomnia
• Abnormal psychology
• The psychology of dreams and nightmares
• The psychological essence of child geniuses and prodigies
• Early identification of autism disorders
• The consequences of childhood bullying on mental health and low self-esteem
• The relationship between physical and mental illness
• The formation of memories in the human brain
• Emotional reaction to music: how does music evoke emotions?
• The psychology of money

School Speech Topics Based On Technology

Being science students, nobody knows this better than you; those technological speech topics can never be dull or tedious. This field is undoubtedly the most complex or challenging, but what can be fun if there’s no challenge? So, here are some fascinating technology-related speech topics for high school students:

• It is preferable to have printed images than to retain electronic copies on a computer.
• The significance of regularly creating backups of your computer files
• Search engines are replacing libraries.
• Future Space Science and Exploration: A Historical Overview
• A Scientific and Ethical View on Human Cloning’s Developments
• What Is the Future of Artificial Intelligence?
• Increase in robotics
• How can we continue to profit from the internet?
• The Effects and Consequences of Bio-warfare
• The future of humankind and its technological impact
• The significance of being alert to internet fraud
• Phones make it difficult for us to communicate with one another.
• Why free internet music should be available.
• The role of technology in shaping our lives
• The future of AI watches
• How are evolving technologies harming human lives?

Topics for Scientific Studies Speeches

Are you searching for compelling subject matter for your speech? You’ll need to choose the proper topic carefully because this is one of the most challenging disciplines of study. Here are a few suggestions.

• What Is a Computer Virus?
• What Is the Influence of Social Media on Us?
• Discover Interesting Facts About the Human Brain
• How does the human brain work?
• Drug testing shouldn’t be done on animals.
• How can geniuses be produced?
• How can rainforests be preserved for future generations?
• The contribution of Newton to science
• The historical scientist with the most impact
• How are search engines operated?
• How do modern technologies change our lives?
• Why shouldn’t whales be used as a food source?
• The AI of tomorrow observes

Environmental Education Speech Topics

Despite only minor Ozone Layer loss, we still have a long way to go to protect our environment. If you are into environmentalism, then these given environmental speech topics can help you craft a memorable speech about enhancing the ecological system. Carefully analyze the following intriguing environmental speech ideas for college students:

• How to Create a World That Runs on Alternative Energy Sources
• What Can We Do to Prevent Animal Abuse?
• What human behaviors cause landslides?
• There is no longer a lot of fish in the seas and oceans. Why?
• Effects of a Growing Population
• Why Do Farmers Use Organic Fertilizers?
• Are Our Tropical Rain Forests Dying?
• The benefits of using reusable bags every day
• Whether Pluto should be classified as a planet
• Advantages of requiring recycling for everyone
• Should the US government increase its funding for space initiatives?
• What are the primary risks posed by oil spills in the ocean?
• Is it crucial to be informed about what’s going on in space?
• Importance of environmental cleanliness

In addition to research and diligent work, brilliant work is essential to prepare an educational speech. Please remember that this is not a research paper but only a speech. Prepare accordingly. Research credible sources, but don’t go overboard. Know when to stop researching and get back to writing.

Speech isn’t just about your writing skills; it also involves your communication skills. Don’t leave it to the last minute; start practicing your speech delivery as soon as you finish writing. Using words is simple if you are precise and confident in your presentation of your work. Be intellectual, passionate, and enthusiastic, and your audience will applaud you appropriately.

If you can’t handle your papers, Edumagnate is a paper help service that meet your needs.

By Alex Brown

I'm an ambitious, seasoned, and versatile author. I am experienced in proposing, outlining, and writing engaging assignments. Developing contagious academic work is always my top priority. I have a keen eye for detail and diligence in producing exceptional academic writing work. I work hard daily to help students with their assignments and projects. Experimenting with creative writing styles while maintaining a solid and informative voice is what I enjoy the most.

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Speech for School Election

An election is one of the essential pillars of democracy, and it is through this democratic system that people can choose the representatives of their choice who they feel have the capability to become leaders. Here are some speeches for the school election.

10 Lines Speech for School Election

"Somewhere inside us is the power to change the world."

1. A pleasant morning to all my friends who are present here. As we are aware, today is school election day. The fact that you are here shows that I have your support.

2. The decision to contest the student council election was challenging. But If you aspire to help the people around you, solve their problems and work for their interests.

3. A school provides the first opportunity to give wings to your dreams.

4. We all are fortunate to study in this excellent school where students have ample opportunities to explore, expand and excel.

5. Being a student takes work; becoming a school leader will take a lot of work.

6. But I assure you, if I win the election, I will work for the benefit of all of us.

7. If you would like the school to introduce an introductory Artificial Intelligence course as a vocational subject or provide excellent quality food in the canteen, I will vouch for that.

8. Friends, I believe in working as a team. No leader can survive alone, and the best results are obtained when the interests of everyone are taken care of.

9. I stand for justice and won't let you down if you choose me.

10. As I conclude my speech, I urge all of you to vote for me and give me a chance to take this school to greater heights.

Short Speech for School Election

"If there was one thing you could change about this school, what would it be!"

A pleasant morning to everyone present here. I am so happy to see all of you in active mode, and this points to your support for me.

Once Abraham Lincoln said, "Of the people, by the people, for the people." This describes the essence of democracy; in a democratic country, people can choose their government by themselves without any pressure.

Elections are the best tool if they are used relatively and no malpractice is allowed. Candidates should remember this if people have the right to choose them and will enable them to run the government, and if they don't, then they can be overthrown as well by the people. They are free to vote for any candidate according to their preferences.

Election gives us the power to choose the best leader in every session. If one is not performing up to the mark, he can be replaced in the next voting session. An election is an excellent opportunity for people to voice their dissatisfaction. People can replace undesirable leadership with a better alternative through the election.

With my experience and passion, I could be a great leader. I promise to do my best to curb bullying, increase student interest in school and increase overall academic achievement.

Long Speech for School Election

"Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves and one another."

Firstly, let me thank you all for your presence here today. As you all know that I am running for the Presidential post in the upcoming school council election, I would like to use this opportunity to share my views about the kind of work I would love to do for the welfare of the school and the students.

"Of the people, by the people, for the people," stated Abraham Lincoln once. This sums up democracy in its most basic terms; citizens make their own, pressure-free decisions about their government. Same way, students can make these decisions to elect a candidate for the presidential post for the school student council.

As a student, I feel that education is not just the pillar of success for us. We all need good services, be it infrastructure, adequate counseling, focus on extracurricular activities, and vocational courses on personality development. Being a student takes work; becoming a student leader is challenging. Today, I am feeling the same while addressing you and asking for your support in the election.

If I Get Elected

It is rightly said, “with great power comes great responsibility”.

If I get elected, my first work would be to improve the sanitation and hygiene of the students. I shall ensure that our playground and the parking lot are appropriately maintained and sanitized. I am also considering seeking confirmation from the administration to allow two game periods a day, considering the workload we have.

We are thinking of implementing a photography course and piano classes as vocational subjects in the coming days, and our team is working hard to achieve all these goals. If given this opportunity, I shall fight for equality, justice, and transparency for our student council, where every student gets a chance to raise their voice.

Sadhguru once said, "Integrity, Insight, and Inclusiveness are the three essential leadership qualities". We also believe in the same principle of leading an organization or a system, where our sole aim is to take care of the interests of the students of our school so that they get the best education, health, and hygiene facilities. All these factors are essential for their overall development, as well as for the school's progress too.

Our focus is not just on academic progress, but we also have our priorities set on co-curricular activities and sports. We plan to allocate more coaches in games like volleyball, cricket, football, badminton etc to all sports enthusiasts who want to pursue a career in this field.

With my experience and passion, I think I could be a great leader. Friends, I also believe in working as a team, and fighting for justice, whenever the need arises. Together with me, let us work for the well-being of the student and the school. Choose your vote wisely, and may the best person win.

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A high school approved a student's graduation speech that was written by ChatGPT — then he went majorly off script

• Kenny Morales, a former Grand Island Senior High student, wrote a graduation speech using ChatGPT.
• The school approved the AI speech, but Morales ended up going off script.
• The new speech was critical of the high school's culture and lack of transparency.

Add speech writing to the long list of things that ChatGPT can do.

Kenny Morales, a former student at Grand Island Senior High School in Nebraska, used OpenAI's conversational chatbot to produce a speech for his high-school graduation ceremony, The Grand Island Independent first reported .

"I said give me a speech about gratitude, and I gave specific examples about what I wanted it to include," Morales told Nebraska TV News about the prompt he used.

The speech got the go-ahead from Morales' school. But when he got on stage, he gave a completely different speech that wasn't approved — and caught the school by surprise.

"I don't know about y'all, but I hated school," Morales told the audience, according to a transcript of Morales' speech the Independent reviewed.

He continued by discussing issues he had with the school's culture and blamed the school district's administrators for making decisions without transparency, according to the Independent.

"We lie, we pretend, and we hide the truth with selective facts on positive things occurring around the school, instead of being honest and addressing the issues head-on," Morales continued, per the Independent. "We attempt to fix the issue by pulling them like weeds instead of fixing the underlying issue."

Related stories

"I really don't think I was too critical," Morales told the Independent.

The speech, he told the outlet, wasn't meant to shame the school but to encourage the school's leaders to make better choices.

"It was more about that message of raising expectations," Morales said to the Independent. "I just wanted to start a conversation."

Morales said he knew the speech he wanted to recite wouldn't get approved, so he used ChatGPT to make one that would. Insider could not reach Morales through email, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

—NTV News (@NTVNEWS) May 17, 2023

The ChatGPT-written speech comes as students flock to the chatbot to generate ideas for class assignments , write essays , and — yes — cheat .

While tools like GPTZero have emerged to detect AI-generated content in schools, Grand Island Public Schools has no regulation on how its students and teachers use ChatGPT, Mitchell Roush, the director of communications for the district, told Insider.

Roush explained the speech-selection process to Insider.

First, he said, high-school staff members review the submitted speeches and "score them blindly." Then, the school district's executive principal looks at the scores and makes the final decision.

From there, the chosen student collaborates with the principal to "refine their message" and "make sure they feel confident" in what they say, Roush said. After the principal gives the speech one last review, the speaker is approved to make the speech at graduation.

Hank McFarland, the president of the school district's board of education, was not happy with the outcome, according to a statement reviewed by the Independent.

While he said that the school administration had "already been discussing" issues around discipline and class attendance and that the school would start "making adjustments," he told the Independent that it didn't mean students should say whatever they wanted when they're at the podium.

"Short story made long — does the student have valid concerns? Yes," McFarland said, per the outlet. "Was the way he did it correct? No."

McFarland declined an immediate request for comment.

Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, has a global deal to allow OpenAI to train its models on its media brands' reporting.

Watch: What is ChatGPT, and should we be afraid of AI chatbots?

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How to Make a Middle School Graduation Speech

Last Updated: May 20, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 441,180 times.

We all know giving a graduation speech can be nerve-wracking, but it is also an exciting opportunity. You get to highlight the important moments that your class has experienced over the years. To make a middle school graduation speech, you should write a speech that thanks your teachers, parents, and peers and also highlights some important moments throughout the year. Your speech will be more memorable if you include a few jokes, quotes, or words of advice.

Writing Your Graduation Speech

• You could say something like “Good afternoon Principal Jacobs, teachers, staff, family, and most importantly my fellow graduating class.”

• Encourage your classmates to always remember and cherish the good times you had together.

• For instance, you could say “During the fall charity drive, our class made history by raising over three thousand dollars.”

• Say something like: "I want to thank the teachers, staff, Principal Nolan, and, of course, my parents for a wonderful Lemon Valley experience. Without your support and guidance we would not be where we are today."
• You could add: “I would especially like to thank my classmates for making middle school one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of my life."

Elevating Your Speech

• For example, you should say “We will always remember when Mr. C. made a perfect dunk on the basketball court” instead of “I will always remember when Mr. C. made a perfect dunk of the basketball court.”

• Avoid making insulting jokes that may offend someone in the audience.
• You could tell a quick story that highlights a funny moment from the last year. For example, "Mr. D was so eager to come to school and teach us that one day he wore his shirt inside out."

• That being said, it is okay to give a tribute to someone if they deserve special recognition. For example, perhaps the entire graduating class had the same teacher. In this instance, you can mention that teacher individually.

• Alternatively, you could choose a quote that was hung on your classroom wall and talk about how you can apply this quote to future successes.

• For example, you could quote a piece of advice from a celebrity commencement speech.
• Alternatively, you could say something serious like "The journey ahead may not be easy, and most of us will stumble at some point. The important thing is that we get back up and keep working towards our goals and dreams."

Delivering the Speech

Expert Q&A

• Stay Confident! Never let your audience think you are nervous or shy. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
• Keep the speech lively. Nobody wants to fall asleep at their own graduation. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• It may help to take a deep breath before starting your speech. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

• Make sure the content in your speech is respectful to all. Thanks Helpful 32 Not Helpful 2
• If you are going to tell a story or joke about an individual, you may want to run it by them first. That way you will not offend them during the graduation ceremony. Thanks Helpful 28 Not Helpful 3
• Do not chew gum while speaking because it may be difficult for people to understand what you are saying. Thanks Helpful 30 Not Helpful 4
• If you want your speech to be a surprise, do not practice with your friends. Thanks Helpful 26 Not Helpful 8

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-introductions
• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/graduation-speech-writing-outline.html
• ↑ Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.. Educational Consultant. Expert Interview. 4 August 2020.
• ↑ http://www.jostens.com/grad/grad_cp_hs_grad_guide_graduation_speech.html
• ↑ https://mitcommlab.mit.edu/be/commkit/public-speaking-how-to-practice/
• ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/graduation-speech-ideas with https://mitcommlab.mit.edu/be/commkit/public-speaking-how-to-practice/

About This Article

To make a middle school graduation speech, start with a greeting like "Good morning, everyone!" Then introduce yourself, since not everyone in the audience will know you. You can then share some of your favorite memories of middle school by talking about important things that happened or notable school events. Also, include some positive comments about the future, like how excited you are for high school. Before your time is up, thank those people who made middle school a great experience, like your teachers or principal. To learn how to add jokes or famous quotes to your speech, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Harrison Butker Said His Benedictine College Commencement Speech Taken 'Out of Context'?

According to online posts, butker supposedly clarified in a statement, "all i said is that we should go back to a better time, like the 50s and 60s.", jordan liles, published may 16, 2024.

About this rating

On May 16, 2024, numerous users on Facebook , TikTok and X reposted a quote meme featuring a purported statement from Kansas City Chiefs kicker and 3-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker. The statement supposedly constituted Butker's response to some backlash following his May 11 commencement speech at Kansas' Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school.

In one post  on X displayed to over 1 million users, the viral quote meme showing a photo of Butker read, "Everyone is taking what I said out of context. All I said is that we should go back to a better time, like the 50s and 60s. When men were men, and women had more babies than thoughts. When the only 'Me too' movement was one woman saying she was ready for her 4th child, and another woman agreeing." The end of the meme added Butker's name with the words "on setting the record straight."

A TikTok video promoting the quote meme as genuine also received more than 800,000 views within five hours of being uploaded, making it another one of the more prominent reposts.

However, Butker did not release a statement with these words, nor did he appear to publicly release any statements following his speech. A closer look at the quote meme reveals a watermark for "@TheSportsMemery" — a reference to the Facebook page named The Sports Memery. The Facebook page's description describes its output as containing satire and parody.

The Associated Press reported Butker's speech featured some remarks on the subjects of women and motherhood, Pride month, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and President Joe Biden's policies regarding abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.

Readers looking to watch Butker's address in its original form can find the full, unedited speech in a  video  posted on the Benedictine College YouTube channel. The video ends with many of the people in attendance giving Butker a standing ovation.

The National Catholic Register also published a complete transcript of the address.

"Chiefs Kicker Butker Congratulates Women Graduates and Says Most Are More Excited about Motherhood." The Associated Press , 16 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0.

"Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech." NCR , 16 May 2024, https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-at-benedictine.

"Harrison Butker | Commencement Address 2024 | Benedictine College." YouTube , Benedictine College, 11 May 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JS7RIKSaCc.

May 17, 2024: This report was updated to add the five words appearing under Butker's name in the quote meme.

By Jordan Liles

Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.

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• Speech Writing /

Speech on Personal Hygiene in English for Students

• Updated on  
• May 22, 2024

How often do you wash your hands or take a shower each day? Your answer reflects your level of concern for personal hygiene. Personal hygiene involves keeping your body free of germs. This includes washing your hands, taking showers, covering your mouth or nose while sneezing, and more. In this discussion, we will cover a speech on personal hygiene, exploring all its important aspects.

2 Minute Speech on Personal Hygiene

Why is personal hygiene.

1. Regular Handwashing: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after using the restroom, and after coughing or sneezing. 

 2. Shower or Bath Daily: Cleanse your body with soap and water daily to remove sweat, dirt, and bacteria. 

 3. Oral Hygiene: Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, and use mouthwash to maintain good oral health.

 4. Trim Nails: Keep your nails short and clean to prevent the buildup of dirt and bacteria.

 5. Wear Clean Clothes: Change your clothes daily and wear clean undergarments to maintain hygiene and prevent body odour. 

 6. Hair Care: Wash your hair regularly with shampoo and conditioner to keep it clean and healthy.

 7. Proper Toilet Habits: Always wipe from front to back after using the restroom to prevent the spread of bacteria. 

 8. Properly Dispose of Waste: Dispose of used tissues, sanitary products, and other waste properly to maintain cleanliness and prevent the spread of germs. 

 9. Healthy Diet: Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to support overall health and hygiene. 

 10. Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and support bodily functions, including maintaining healthy skin. 

A.1 Hygiene refers to the habit of keeping our bodies germ-free. Hygiene is crucial to stay fit and live a healthy life. Good hygiene practices lead to better health outcomes and improves our overall quality of life. This includes better physical health, fewer days lost to illness, and enhanced mental well-being due to reduced stress about health issues.

A.2 Hygiene refers to behaviours that can improve cleanliness and lead to good health. 

A.3 Hygiene practices, such as sanitation and personal cleanliness, play a crucial role in preventing the spread of diseases. The scope extends to global health initiatives, epidemiology, healthcare system improvement, and health equity.

Popular English Speech Topics

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

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Read a transcript of Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech in full

Harrison Butker's 2024 commencement speech at Benedictine College has set off a cascade of reactions , with some commentators calling the Kansas City Chiefs kicker's words " misogynistic ."

What, exactly, did Butker say in the polarizing speech delivered before the Catholic liberal arts college's graduating class in Atchison, Kansas on May 11?

During the 20-minute speech, Butker, who is Catholic himself, said he intended to say the "difficult stuff out loud." In his own words, he has "gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind."

In one particularly scrutinized segment, Butker addressed "the women" graduates directly in an attempt to counter the "most diabolical lies" they have been told. More than professional achievements, he said they should be excited to take on the "vocation" of homemaker, using his own wife, Isabelle Butker, as an example.

He shared that his wife’s life “really started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother," and later said, "Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, ‘Heck, no.’"

He urged the men in the graduating class to be "unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men."

The wide-ranging speech also touched on pride, birth control, COVID restrictions, "dangerous gender ideologies" and Catholic principles.

Butker described Catholic pride as "not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but true God-centered pride," an apparent dig at Pride Month.

On the topic of birth control, he said, "There is nothing good about playing God with having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive." He called out abortion, IVF and surrogacy as symptoms of "disorder."

Other parts of the speech were specific to the Catholic church, including his “love” for traditional Latin mass and the state of the priesthood: “Sadly, many priests we are looking to for leadership are the same ones who prioritize their hobbies or even photos with their dogs and matching outfits for the parish directory."

Commenting on life after the "Benedictine bubble," he prepared graduates for what might come next in what he described as a departure from Catholic principles: "Sadly, I’m sure many of you know the countless stories of good and active members of this community who, after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave the Church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these stories, and there is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong."

Seeming to acknowledge the political nature of his speech, Butker said near the end, "I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is Heaven."

Responses to the speech have been split. It generated applause from the in-person audience, including after the segment about women in the home. But it has largely received fierce backlash online.

Nuns associated with the college said in a statement his speech did not represent the school or its founders' vision , saying: "Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division."

The NFL said in its statement that "his views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Butker has not publicly commented on the backlash.

Read a transcript of Harrison Butker's full commencement speech at Benedictine College

Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 2024, I would like to start off by congratulating all of you for successfully making it to this achievement today. I’m sure your high school graduation was not what you had imagined, and most likely, neither was your first couple years of college.

By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lessons that suffering in this life is only temporary. As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don’t stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society. It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we got to where we are, and where we want to go as citizens and, yes, as Catholics. One last thing before I begin, I want to be sure to thank President Minnis and the board for their invitation to speak.

When President Minnis first reached out a couple of months ago, I had originally said, 'No. You see, last year I gave the commencement address at my alma mater, Georgia Tech, and I felt that one graduation speech was more than enough, especially for someone who isn’t a professional speaker. But of course, President Minnis used his gift of persuasion and spoke to the many challenges you all faced throughout the COVID fiasco, and how you missed out on so many milestones the rest of us older people have taken for granted. While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.

Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally. He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.

He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn’t cut it.

These are the sorts of things we are told in polite society to not bring up. You know, the difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the 'church of nice' is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for cowardice.

It is safe to say that over the past few years, I have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind. I never envisioned myself, nor wanted, to have this sort of a platform, but God has given it to me, so I have no other choice but to embrace it and preach more hard truths about accepting your lane and staying in it.

As members of the church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic. Don’t be mistaken, even within the Church, people in polite Catholic circles will try to persuade you to remain silent. There even was an award-winning film called 'Silence', made by a fellow Catholic, wherein one of the main characters, a Jesuit priest, abandoned the Church, and as an apostate, when he died is seen grasping a crucifix, quiet and unknown to anyone but God. As a friend of Benedictine College, His Excellency Bishop Robert Barron, said in his review of the film, it was exactly what the cultural elite want to see in Christianity — private, hidden away, and harmless.

Our Catholic faith has always been countercultural. Our Lord, along with countless followers, were all put to death for their adherence to her teachings. The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail.

But make no mistake, before we even attempt to fix any of the issues plaguing society, we must first get our own house in order, and it starts with our leaders. The bishops and priests appointed by God as our spiritual fathers must be rightly ordered. There is not enough time today for me to list all the stories of priests and bishops misleading their flocks, but none of us can blame ignorance anymore and just blindly proclaim that, 'That’s what Father said.' Because sadly, many priests we are looking to for leadership are the same ones who prioritize their hobbies or even photos with their dogs and matching outfits for the parish directory.

It’s easy for us laymen and women to think that in order for us to be holy, that we must be active in our parish and try to fix it. Yes, we absolutely should be involved in supporting our parishes, but we cannot be the source for our parish priests to lean on to help with their problems. Just as we look at the relationship between a father and his son, so too should we look at the relationship between a priest and his people. It would not be appropriate for me to always be looking to my son for help when it is my job as his father to lead him.

St. Josemaría Escrivá states that priests are ordained to serve, and should not yield to temptation to imitate laypeople, but to be priests through and through. Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners, and in searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar. This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate’s girlfriend says, 'Familiarity breeds contempt.'

Saint Josemaría continues that some want to see the priest as just another man. That is not so. They want to find in the priest those virtues proper to every Christian, and indeed every honorable man: understanding, justice, a life of work — priestly work, in this instance — and good manners. It is not prudent as the laity for us to consume ourselves in becoming amateur theologians so that we can decipher this or that theological teaching — unless, of course, you are a theology major. We must be intentional with our focus on our state in life and our own vocation. And for most of us, that’s as married men and women. Still, we have so many great resources at our fingertips that it doesn’t take long to find traditional and timeless teachings that haven’t been ambiguously reworded for our times. Plus, there are still many good and holy priests, and it’s up to us to seek them out.

The chaos of the world is unfortunately reflected in the chaos in our parishes, and sadly, in our cathedrals too. As we saw during the pandemic, too many bishops were not leaders at all. They were motivated by fear, fear of being sued, fear of being removed, fear of being disliked. They showed by their actions, intentional or unintentional, that the sacraments don’t actually matter. Because of this, countless people died alone, without access to the sacraments, and it’s a tragedy we must never forget. As Catholics, we can look to so many examples of heroic shepherds who gave their lives for their people, and ultimately, the Church. We cannot buy into the lie that the things we experienced during COVID were appropriate. Over the centuries, there have been great wars, great famines, and yes, even great diseases, all that came with a level of lethality and danger. But in each of those examples, Church leaders leaned into their vocations and ensured that their people received the sacraments.

Great saints like St. Damien of Molokai, who knew the dangers of his ministry, stayed for 11 years as a spiritual leader to the leper colonies of Hawaii. His heroism is looked at today as something set apart and unique, when ideally it should not be unique at all. For as a father loves his child, so a shepherd should love his spiritual children, too.

That goes even more so for our bishops, these men who are present-day apostles. Our bishops once had adoring crowds of people kissing their rings and taking in their every word, but now relegate themselves to a position of inconsequential existence. Now, when a bishop of a diocese or the bishop’s conference as a whole puts out an important document on this matter or that, nobody even takes a moment to read it, let alone follow it.

No. Today, our shepherds are far more concerned with keeping the doors open to the chancery than they are with saying the difficult stuff out loud. It seems that the only time you hear from your bishops is when it’s time for the annual appeal, whereas we need our bishops to be vocal about the teachings of the Church, setting aside their own personal comfort and embracing their cross. Our bishops are not politicians but shepherds, so instead of fitting in the world by going along to get along, they too need to stay in their lane and lead.

I say all of this not from a place of anger, as we get the leaders we deserve. But this does make me reflect on staying in my lane and focusing on my own vocation and how I can be a better father and husband and live in the world but not be of it. Focusing on my vocation while praying and fasting for these men will do more for the Church than me complaining about her leaders.

Because there seems to be so much confusion coming from our leaders, there needs to be concrete examples for people to look to in places like Benedictine, a little Kansas college built high on a bluff above the Missouri River, are showing the world how an ordered, Christ-centered existence is the recipe for success. You need to look no further than the examples all around this campus, where over the past 20 years, enrollment has doubled, construction and revitalization are a constant part of life, and people, the students, the faculty and staff, are thriving. This didn’t happen by chance. In a deliberate movement to embrace traditional Catholic values, Benedictine has gone from just another liberal arts school with nothing to set it apart to a thriving beacon of light and a reminder to us all that when you embrace tradition, success — worldly and spiritual — will follow.

I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn’t be met with anger, but instead met with excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him. Reading that article now shared all over the world, we see that in the complete surrender of self and a turning towards Christ, you will find happiness. Right here in a little town in Kansas, we find many inspiring laypeople using their talents.

President Minnis, Dr. (Andrew) Swafford, and Dr. (Jared) Zimmerer are a few great examples right here on this very campus that will keep the light of Christ burning bright for generations to come. Being locked in with your vocation and staying in your lane is going to be the surest way for you to find true happiness and peace in this life.

It is essential that we focus on our own state in life, whether that be as a layperson, a priest, or religious. Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2024, you are sitting at the edge of the rest of your lives. Each of you has the potential to leave a legacy that transcends yourselves and this era of human existence. In the small ways, by living out your vocation, you will ensure that God’s Church continues and the world is enlightened by your example.

For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.

She's the primary educator to our children. She is the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father. She is the person that knows me best at my core, and it is through our marriage that, Lord willing, we will both attain salvation.

I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will in their life. Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, 'Heck, no.'

As a man who gets a lot of praise and has been given a platform to speak to audiences like this one today, I pray that I always use my voice for God and not for myself. Everything I am saying to you is not from a place of wisdom, but rather a place of experience. I am hopeful that these words will be seen as those from a man, not much older than you, who feels it is imperative that this class, this generation, and this time in our society must stop pretending that the things we see around us are normal.

Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic circles. But let’s be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control.

It is only in the past few years that I have grown encouraged to speak more boldly and directly because, as I mentioned earlier, I have leaned into my vocation as a husband and father, and as a man.

To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates, as well.

Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don’t necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better. I speak from experience as an introvert who now finds myself as an amateur public speaker and an entrepreneur, something I never thought I’d be when I received my industrial engineering degree.

The road ahead is bright. Things are changing. Society is shifting. And people, young and old, are embracing tradition. Not only has it been my vocation that has helped me and those closest to me, but not surprising to many of you, should be my outspoken embrace of the traditional Latin Mass. I’ve been very vocal in my love and devotion to the TLM and its necessity for our lives. But what I think gets misunderstood is that people who attend the TLM do so out of pride or preference. I can speak to my own experience, but for most people I have come across within these communities this simply is not true. I do not attend the TLM because I think I am better than others, or for the smells and bells, or even for the love of Latin. I attend the TLM because I believe, just as the God of the Old Testament was pretty particular in how he wanted to be worshipped, the same holds true for us today. It is through the TLM that I encountered order, and began to pursue it in my own life. Aside from the TLM itself, too many of our sacred traditions have been relegated to things of the past, when in my parish, things such as ember days, days when we fast and pray for vocations and for our priests, are still adhered to. The TLM is so essential that I would challenge each of you to pick a place to move where it is readily available.

A lot of people have complaints about the parish or the community, but we should not sacrifice the Mass for community. I prioritize the TLM even if the parish isn’t beautiful, the priest isn’t great, or the community isn’t amazing. I still go to the TLM because I believe the holy sacrifice of the Mass is more important than anything else. I say this knowing full well that when each of you rekindle your knowledge and adherence to many of the church’s greatest traditions, you will see how much more colorful and alive your life can and should be.

As you move on from this place and enter into the world, know that you will face many challenges. Sadly, I’m sure many of you know the countless stories of good and active members of this community who, after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave the Church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these stories, and there is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong.

What you must remember is that life is about doing the small things well, setting yourself up for success, and surrounding yourself with people who continually push you to be the best version of you. I say this all the time, that iron sharpens iron. It’s a great reminder that those closest to us should be making us better. If you are dating someone who doesn’t even share your faith, how do you expect that person to help you become a saint? If your friend group is filled with people who only think about what you’re doing next weekend and are not willing to have those difficult conversations, how can they help sharpen you?

As you prepare to enter into the workforce, it is extremely important that you actually think about the places you are moving to. Who is the bishop? What kind of parishes are there? Do they offer the TLM and have priests who embrace their priestly vocation? Cost of living must not be the only arbiter of your choices, for a life without God is not a life at all, and the cost of salvation is worth more than any career.

I’m excited for the future, and I pray that something I have said will resonate as you move on to the next chapter of your life.

Never be afraid to profess the one holy, Catholic, and apostolic church, for this is the church that Jesus Christ established, through which we receive sanctifying grace.

I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is Heaven.

I thank God for Benedictine College and for the example it provides to the world. I thank God for men like President Minnis, who are doing their part for the Kingdom. Come to find out, you can have an authentically Catholic college and a thriving football program.

Make no mistake: You are entering into mission territory in a post-God world, but you were made for this. And with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint.

Christ is King.

To the Heights.

Randi Richardson is a reporter for NBC News' TODAY.com based in Brooklyn.