Workshops

SECONDARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Bob has long advocated for providing opportunities to teenagers to broaden their horizons and prepare them for the future. As a public servant he was the driving force behind the Open Gate Filmmaker Lab and the Creative Recording Initiative, innovative and impactful workshops that combined mentorship with hands-on experience. His TEDx talk on Reinventing Education illustrates the passion he has for making a difference in the lives of teens.
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Bob Egan in a black t-shirt on a green background. Photo links to Google Drive to download more photos.

SPEECHES FOR YOUTH

Also available in workshop format
01

Thriving Through Change and Failure

Adults are well-aware that change and failure are inevitable factors in life. This speech, a collection of compelling, emotional and humorous stories, casts change and failure in a more productive light helping youth to learn, manage, expect and even embrace the inevitable.  
02

The Power of Gratitude, Fortitude and Perspectitude™

Bob navigated the high highs and especially the low lows of his journey with three simple, yet powerful tools – Gratitude (positive energy), Fortitude (hard work) and Perspectitude™ (options for moving forward). This speech provides youth with relatable insights and techniques to help them navigate the challenges they will face on their path to success.

SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJOR CERTIFICATIONS

Custom workshops available
  • Pricing: $25 per student (Recommended group size: 30–40 students)
  • Price breaks for multiple workshops
  • Length: 2 to 2.5 hours — perfect for booking two per day
01

Communication Certification

The Communication for Young Adults workshop meets this first generation of digital natives where they are at, as incredibly effective digital communicators, then introduces verbal and non-verbal techniques as powerful extensions that can serve their values and aspirations. It features:

Foundations of Communication

  • Conciseness and Clarity – transforming texts and emojis into a narrative
  • Active listening – putting Gen Z values of respect and transparency into practice
  • Non-verbal cues – create awareness of actions and observations
  • EQ – control emotions, tone and volume, and handle conflict

Experiential Exercises

  • Inventory of personal communication styles including strengths and development areas
  • Story/topic mapping
  • Personal brand-building
  • Communication templates for co-op placements and job interviews

Applications

  • Transforming a topic into a conversation
  • Tools and techniques to reduce anxiety and build speaking confidence
  • Understanding of communication techniques for conversations and presentations
  • How to answer THE job interview question – “So tell me about yourself.”
02

Customer Experience Certification

The Customer Experience for Young Adults workshop is designed as a bridge for Gen Z workers from an inward-focused, online orientation to an outward-looking, in-person perspective. The resulting mindset and skillset are the foundations of delivering customer experiences that exceed expectations.

Foundations of Customer Service

  • Verbal and non-verbal cues – create awareness of actions and observations
  • Empathy – using perspective to shape behaviour and understanding
  • Active listening – showing respect while lowering the temperature and learning
  • Outcome orientation – for the benefit of customers and employees

Experiential Exercises

  • Inventory of student customer service experiences to tie their encounters into learning
  • Empathy and active listening role-playing
  • Building models for outcome-based thinking and acting
  • Exercises for creating the Customer Experience mindset

Applications

  • Comprehensive mindset and skillset to improve the customer experience
  • Tools and techniques to reduce risk and pressure in customer service roles
  • Understanding that customer service is applicable to co-workers, bosses and others
  • Appreciation of the role EQ plays in the customer experience and other areas of life
03

Networking Certification

The Networking for Young Adults workshop illustrates the value of networks beyond online social circles - a critical advantage as teens enter the workforce, and seek volunteer hours, internships and co-op placements. Participants will observe examples that illustrate networking skills and practices can serve them well throughout their lives.

Foundations of Networking

  • How and Why it Works – with local and global examples
  • Where it Can Occur – in-person and online
  • Networker Effectiveness –personal branding, communication techniques, EQ
  • Strategies – long-term, short-term, situational

Experiential Exercises

  • Network mapping to visualize strengths and gaps
  • Personal brand-building to create a compelling elevator pitch
  • Goal-setting to align network-building goals
  • Personalized network strategy to find the right fit

Applications

  • An appreciation of the value of Active Networking and an understanding of how it works
  • Tools and techniques they can immediately incorporate into their lives
  • An overarching strategy to reach their networking objectives
  • A template of refining and presenting their personal brand
04

Ethical Considerations Certification

The Ethical Considerations for Young Adults workshop is designed to help teens internalize the Do-The-Right-Thing concept by linking the ethical dilemmas they most frequently face with their existing sense of social and moral justice.

Foundations of Ethics

  • Values – bedrock principles that define who one is
  • Critical Thinking – a paradigm for evaluation and decision-making
  • Responsibility – accountability to one’s self and others for both acting and not acting
  • Moral Compass – doing the right thing for one’s self and greater good

Experiential Exercises

  • Identifying and exploring existing moral beliefs
  • Listing school, work and personal ethical dilemmas, and building ethical responses
  • Connecting ethical action to desirable outcomes (acceptance, autonomy, independence)
  • Building internal triggers and the use of role models to activate critical thinking

Applications

  • Options for how to respond to ethical dilemmas
  • The understanding of how ethical considerations can positively affect their current lives
  • An appreciation they possess an existing moral code they can nurture to great effect
  • Critical thinking triggers and pathways they can engage to do the right thing
05

Public Speaking Certification

The Public Speaking for Young Adults workshop isn’t just about preparing participants for the big stage.  It is about developing essential skills and techniques for organizing ideas, facts and objectives in a compelling narrative that will be advantageous when speaking with one person or to a thousand people.

Foundations of Public Speaking

  • Confidence – preparation, personal assessment, goal clarity, anxiety-reducing techniques
  • Storytelling – classic (and effective) narrative structure and techniques
  • Audience – understanding needs, desires, demographics to heighten the impact
  • Goal – clarifying takeaways for the listeners and desired end-result for the speaker

Experiential Exercises

  • Inventory of personal communication styles including strengths and development areas
  • Story/topic mapping to aid in preparation and delivery
  • Personal brand-building to efficiently and effectively communicate who you are
  • Audience assessment techniques to align expectations with your delivery

Applications

  • The ability to transform a topic into a story then into a speech
  • Tools and techniques to reduce anxiety and build speaking confidence
  • An understanding of communication techniques for conversations to presentations
  • The ability to build speeches that meet the needs of the audience
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