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Emerging Voices

Emerging Voices

Writing across the curriculum and public speaking are major emphases at The Webb School. Through our Emerging Voices program, students learn to create original ideas, assemble a body of research, and communicate those ideas effectively through writing and public speaking. Students showcase their skills each year by performing declamations, orations, performance creations and senior paper presentations.

These exhibitions are developed and completed under the mentorship of the students' advisors and other members of the community. Our goal is to create confident contributors in the classroom and beyond.

History of Emerging Voices

Throughout its history, The Webb School has placed great importance on teaching students to speak confidently before a large audience. While this requirement has taken many forms over the years, the most traditional assignment is the declamation, a memorized piece of literature with an original introduction written by the performer. 

 

Declamation and Oration

6th-8th grade students present a declamation to the middle school student body. 9th grade students present a declamation to the entire student body. In their subsequent years of high school, students build on the foundation of their declamation performance with an oration in 10th grade, a creative public performance in 11th grade, and finally the presentation of their original research in their senior year. This process enables students to leave The Webb School ready to share their ideas and findings with the world with poise and conviction.

The Webb School - Emerging Voices Program