Activate to Captivate is an interactive 8-week public speaking certificate program that focuses on content creation and effective delivery techniques. You will learn how to overcome nerves, distill your research into an engaging pitch, and learn the vocal techniques to captivate your audience.
About the Instructor:
Bri McWhorter is theFounder and CEO of Activate to Captivate. Bri teaches communication techniques from an actor’s point of view. She specializes in public speaking, scientific communications, interview skills, and interpersonal communications. She has taught workshops at Fortune 500 companies, privately coached CEOs at nonprofits, and led certificate programs at top universities. She is the creator of W.A.V.E.®, a program where she teaches speakers how to overcome nerves, use body language, and rely on their voice to tell an engaging story. She has coached speakers for academic symposiums at various institutions including UC Office of the President, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. She has an MFA in Acting from University of California, Irvine and a BA in Theater and Performance Studies from University of California, Berkeley.
What You'll Learn
Based on acting fundamentals, participants will practice the techniques that top speakers utilize to craft dynamic and compelling presentations. In eight sessions participants will learn:
How to overcome self-consciousness
Turn passive presentations into active ones
Use vocal variety to breathe life into a performance
Who Should Apply
Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from all disciplines interested in improving public speaking skills in an interactive setting.
Certificate Requirements
This is an 8-week certificate program. You must attend all classes to receive the certificate of completion. This program is offered Fall, Winter and Spring.
Course Schedule
Winter 2021: We are offering 2 sessions this quarter. All sessions will take place via Zoom. *You must have access to a camera to fully participate in the program.
Session 1: Every Tuesday from 10 am - 12 pm | January 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9, 16, 23; March 3
Session 2: Every Wednesday from 2 pm - 4 pm | January 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 4
Dates
Session Description
Week 1, 2, 3
Film pitch, introductions, overcoming nerves, active delivery skills and vocal techniques
Week 4, 5
Content creation, content organization, idea maps
Week 6, 7, 8
PowerPoint presentation techniques, transitions, presentation practice, final filming
