December 2022

On December 10th, 2022, the Eastlake Male Youth Initiative hosted a communication skills workshop at the Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church. The workshop was led by nationally renowned communication specialist Mr. Michael Levesque. Levesque, who is also the Executive Director of the Morehouse College Alumni Association, was accompanied by students and staff of Morehouse College who helped workshop participants practice the art of public speaking.

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This workshop began by educating students on different elements of effective communication such as intentionality, content, body language, tone, and enunciation. Mr. Levesque then used a series of interactive demonstrations to show how failing to use such tools appropriately can negatively impact the way a message is received by an audience.

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Morehouse College student ambassadors facilitated small group sessions for EMYI students to dive deeper into guided exercises. Towards the end of the workshop, students were able to put what they learned into practice by presenting individual speeches. They received constructive feedback on their presentations from both Mr. Levesque and the Eastlake Male Youth Initiative’s Program Director, Rev. Kenneth Torrence. Workshop participants left with a better sense of what it means to be an effective communicator and the ability to utilize these skills as a foundation for success throughout life.