How to become an excellent speaker? That is, training Volunteers in public speaking at EDF

On 12-13 December 2013, as part of improving their skills, FORUM ATOMOWE Foundation volunteers took part in a training course aimed at acquiring and expanding their public speaking skills. The training course was organised courtesy of EDF Polska, at its headquarters in Warsaw. The course was conducted by the Chief Training Specialist of EDF Polska, Mr Marek Bac, who has extensive experience in preparing speakers for public appearances.

The training covered a range of issues related to the professional and effective preparation and delivery of lectures. The topics covered included preparing the room, as well as planning and executing the presentation and delivering it. Issues including techniques for effective communication and interaction with the audience were also discussed.

In addition to the theoretical part, the training included a practical exercise involving giving a short presentation under difficult conditions. Thanks to this exercise, the volunteers were able to be subjected to a factual evaluation by the trainer and receive valuable feedback on their speeches. Good and weaker aspects of the presentation were identified, as well as those that individual Volunteers particularly need to improve or change.

The skills acquired will certainly be used by our team during presentations and public appearances as part of the cyclical projects implemented by the Foundation, i.e: “Atomic Bus – Mobile Laboratory” or “Meetings with Atomic Energy”, but also in their professional work. Most of the Foundation’s volunteers are academics from research institutes and universities, including the National Centre for Nuclear Research, the Central Laboratory for Radiation Protection, the University of Warsaw, the Gdańsk University of Technology and the AGH University of Science and Technology, for whom the ability to speak in front of an audience is a very important, if not essential, skill.

The participants of the training express their immense gratitude to all the people involved in the organisation of this meeting, for their boundless hospitality, patience, kindness and effort put in. Our thanks go to EDF Polska, in particular to Ms Magdalena Poradzka, Mr Marek Bac, Ms Hanna Kurzydym.