PIN students impress as public speakers

CNS Editor | 12/06/2015

Reyanna Forbes gives her presentation on Iggy Azalea

(CNS): This year’s PIN (Positive Intervention Now) term recently ended with students completing special presentation projects to show off their public-speaking skills. The PIN programme is aimed at children in their last year of primary school to help them develop spiritually, intellectually, socially and emotionally through their transition into the teenage years.

PwC staff, who volunteer each week to work with students on the PIN programme, introduced the idea of this project for the 10- and 11-year-olds attending George Town Primary School. The students were asked to research and write PowerPoint presentations on a famous person, sport or country, and deliver them to a panel of PwC volunteers, who would choose the best ones.

Based on a variety of factors, the judges picked Reyanna Forbes for best content for her presentation on pop star Iggy Izalea; Kesiah Campbell for best slideshow for pop star Natalie La Rose; and Dwight Brown for best presentation skills for his project on Brazilian football player Neymar da Silva Santos. Danielle Waugh received the highest overall score for her presentation on Canada.

PIN is run by the Education and Youth Committee of St George’s Anglican Church, and welcomes up to 15 youngsters each year in their last year of primary school. The after-school programme runs three times a week from 3pm to 6pm. PwC has been a main sponsor of the programme for the past eight years and, for the last four, staff have volunteered to run photographic competitions, help with homework and generally guide students in their intellectual and behavioural development.

Angilynn Chan-Baraud, PwC’s assurance and business development manager, coordinates the firm’s efforts to assist the PIN programme. She explained the thought process behind introducing the presentation project.

“PwC has been a longtime supporter of PIN because we recognise the value of the programme, targeting young people in a positive way before they make the move into adulthood,” she said. “Having worked alongside the current set of students for a number of months, we were looking for a project that would test their creativity and their research skills, as well as their presentation and public-speaking abilities, all very necessary skills that they will need in later life.”

Chan-Baraud said they were all impressed by the efforts made by the students to produce an interesting presentation.

“Our public-speaking competition really tested the students and produced some excellent results. We especially enjoyed how students tried hard to engage the audience and make sure their project was entertaining and fun as well as interesting and factual. Our congratulations go out to the winners and all students who participated for each doing a fantastic job,” she stated.

Marlene Ricketts, the PIN programme coordinator, said this new project really fired up the imagination of the students.

“Students enjoyed researching their particular projects – which ranged from countries of the world to famous sporting stars to popular singers and performers – and worked hard to give a polished finish to their actual presentation,” she said.

“PwC has been a constant supporter of the PIN programme over the years and we are always deeply grateful to them for the energy, creativity and interest they bring to the programme. We could not run the PIN programme without the consistent support of corporate sponsors such as PwC.”