A Gainesville mother and public speaker is turning her own success on the global stage into an opportunity for children across Alachua County to discover the power of their voices.
The online speaking tournament is slated for noon on Sunday, May 31. There will be three age divisions with a $5,000 total prize pool, with the top five finalists awarded in each division. Click here to register.
Rose Higgins, a speaker, author, public speaking judge, and co-founder of iSpeak: Big Voices & Little Voices, was recently named a Top 10 finalist in the worldwide “The Next Top Speaker” competition, selected from more than 7,000 applicants.
Now, Higgins is using that experience to inspire and empower local youth through the launch of iSpeak: Big Voices & Little Voices, a public speaking tournament designed to help children and teens build confidence, communication skills, leadership abilities, storytelling experience and stage presence.
The program is open to students ages 4–12 and aims to create a supportive environment where young people can share their stories and discover their unique strengths.
“As a local mother, I’ve seen how powerful it is when a child gets the chance to stand on stage and be heard,” Higgins said in a release. “My own daughters have built confidence through speaking and performing, and I want more children in our community to experience that same transformation.”
This year’s student speech theme is “My Superpower Is …” and encourages participants to reflect on and share the qualities that make them unique, including kindness, courage, creativity, resilience, leadership, or other personal strengths.
According to Higgins, her recent recognition in The Next Top Speaker competition reinforced her commitment to creating opportunities for local youth.
“Being named a Top 10 finalist out of more than 7,000 speakers worldwide reminded me what is possible when someone believes in their voice,” Higgins said in a release. “Now I want to help children and teens believe in theirs.”
The iSpeak Tournament is part of a broader effort to support youth confidence, communication, leadership, and self-expression throughout the Gainesville and Alachua County community.
Families, schools, and community members interested in learning more about the tournament can visit Kulimela iSpeak Tournament Information or Kulimela Official Website.