Turn Your Public Speaking Skills Into a Recognized Achievement – Get Certified!
Our certification program gives students the chance to demonstrate their new public speaking and speech writing skills and receive expert evaluation and personalized feedback based on our detailed evaluation rubric. Upon receiving a passing score, students earn a Public Speaking Certificate—a milestone achievement that proves their hard work, confidence, and communication skills.
Certification is more than just a piece of paper—it provides:
- Motivation to complete the course with a clear goal in mind.
- Recognition for hard work, boosting confidence and pride.
- A real credential to highlight on resumes, applications, and leadership opportunities.
We encourage parents, teachers, and mentors to celebrate this achievement—whether that means a reward, special recognition, or simply cheering your student on. Incentivize certification and make it something kids want to achieve!
How to Get Certified
Step 1: Choose a Prompt
Pick one before starting the course to use throughout assignments:
- ●Teach me about a STEM topic
- ●Teach me about one of your passions
- ●Teach me about a career that interests you
🚫 Speeches may not be political or religious. Off-topic submissions will be returned without evaluation.
Step 2: Complete the Course
Step 3: Prepare Your Speech
- ●Up to 1000 words (longer speeches will be returned).
- ●Introductions may include first name, age, grade, or general location. (e.g., "Hi, my name is Olivia and I'm a sophomore in high school" OR "Hi, my name is Michael. I'm 15 and live in Santa Barbara County.")
- ●No full names or exact locations or addresses.
- ●Speeches may be read, memorized, or a mix of both (extra points for memorization).
Step 4: Record Your Video
Video Recording Guidelines
- ●Any video device may be used.
- ●The student must be shown from at least the waist up (full-body shots acceptable if clear).
- ●The picture must be clear, and the audio must be loud and easy to understand.
⚠️ In compliance with COPPA, all submissions must be sent by an authorized adult 18 years or older. Student videos and scripts are not retained without parental or guardian permission.
Step 5: Submit to get Certified!
Submit a Certification Submission Form, script and video (see FAQs for how-to)
- ●Each submission is evaluated by a member of our expert team.
- ●Written feedback is provided using a detailed evaluation rubric.
- ●Results and feedback are sent within 21 days of submission.
- ●Passing Score = Certificate
Note: Students whose submissions do not receive a passing score may revise their presentation and submit a new video for an additional submission fee.
Understanding Our Evaluation Standards
Public speaking is a skill that grows with age, experience, and practice — which is why our evaluation process is designed to be both rigorous and fair. We assess every submission using our detailed rubric built around the three pillars of great public speaking:
Content
What to say
Structure
How to organize it
Delivery
How to say it with confidence
Each pillar is evaluated and scored separately. Scores are then averaged to derive a percentage.
70–89% = Pass
90%+ = Pass Superior
We want every student who puts in the work to have the chance to SUCCEED!
Our goal is to measure each student's mastery of the material as objectively as possible. At the same time, we know that no two students are alike. A 9-year-old will demonstrate their skills differently than a 14-year-old, and students with special needs may require additional consideration. That's why our evaluators have the flexibility to award accommodation points — ensuring effort is recognized and limitations are considered as well as performance.
Ready to Get Certified?
