Southern Vermont College Hosts Annual Sarnoff Speech Contest for Middle School Students in Vermont

March 4, 2012

On Sunday, April 1, Southern Vermont College’s “Speak Up and Speak Out” Quest for Success class will host students from five area middle schools who participated in  the SVC “This I Believe…” Sarnoff Speech contest. The schools who will compete are The Dorset School, Long Trail School, Manchester Elementary School, Maple Street School and The Mountain School at Winhall. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the contest, and judges will be the College students in the Quest for Success course. The public is invited to the event, which will begin at 2 p.m. at SVC’s Everett Mansion Theatre.

The guidelines of the speech contest included identifying a concept important to each student who will then write a 300-500 word, three-minute meaningful speech with the prompt “This I Believe…”  The objective was to speak effectively and positively about something the student is passionate about. “This contest gives middle school students a chance to have a voice and be heard,” said Brittany Qassis, student in the class. “We want young writers to take a chance, be courageous, build confidence and gain an unforgettable experience.” Participation in the Annual Sarnoff Speech Contest has been made possible with a gift from The Milton and Dorothy Sarnoff Raymond Foundation.