Recruiting Information

How Do I Recruit Students?

Sometimes students that we know can excel at public speaking are too shy to participate, even after we've approached them several times. In these cases, if students can be encouraged to attend an AkNOS event as part of the audience, they will decide to speak in future years. We have found that recruiting students for AkNOS requires more than a single announcement in a class or putting up AkNOS flyers and posters, although these are important recruiting tools. Public speaking can be extremely frightening for some students and intimidating for others. This means recruiting students for AkNOS often requires one-on-one mentoring by faculty, teachers, and advisors.

Student comments in classroom discussions can be one way to identify students. As instructors working directly with these students, we can take the time to encourage them and give them speech ideas based on the ideas expressed in the classroom. This often requires multiple conversations. Students can also be identified by written work they turn in. This is one way to identify students uncomfortable speaking up in classroom settings. When identifying students this way, it is important to clarify to them why their written work shows insight and why it might be important to share in a public setting. We have worked with some students for two years before being able to convince them their voices had value, meaning, and that they could succeed speaking out "even when their voices shake."

Multiple announcements and extra credit for either participating or attending AkNOS are other important recruiting tools. In this way, students recognize that this is an important event in the eyes of their instructors. The extra credit can be one tool to move students beyond their fear of public speaking.

After the Oratory Celebration event, it is fun and empowering to recognize AkNOS student participants within the classroom setting. It also sends a message to other students that this is a valuable experience, particularly if they want to become leaders in their communities and/or corporations.

        AkNOS wants to encourage students to let their voices be heard. We believe that the fear of public speaking can be overcome once the student believes that their voice is our future!