We have a 6-yr-old exhibiting her mini fashion house at YPS –Organizers

Mojola , Dideolu , Folajimi, Omodara and Misini are all going to be exhibiting brilliant works at the 3rd edition of the YPS event. Ediale Kingsley spoke with the organizers of the event, Mr. and Mrs. Oluwajobi as they share with us the brilliance of the event and all we need to know about the Young Public Speakers (YPS) club.

WHY RYS? What is the platform all about?
Raising Young Speakers (RYS) is an annual program which comes to showcase the result of young public speakers club (YPS). Young speakers club started about four years ago and we are a finishing school, we train organizations and adults generally. Then it dawn on us that why wait for people to grow old become adults before you start correcting and helping them to learn the right things out of the wrong ones they have learnt over the time. Why not impact these same things to children and let them grow with it. And we began this club to raise children in public speaking, etiquette, manners and those soft skills that makes you a leader and then also build on their talent, help them to discover and express their talent even as at now people use to say children are tomorrow’s future leaders but that future never comes. So start from where you are right now and that was what gave birth to raising young leaders which is a platform to showcase what they have done and also to teach parents who for one reason or the other their children are not there or their children are below the age or already above the age limit to just teach them, this is what it takes to raise young leaders. And we dispatch this information through this platform while we showcase what they have done within the period they were under tutelage.
So what’s unique about this year’s edition of the YPS?
Raising Young Speakers 003 is the third edition and I would say its mind blowing. Last year when we had it, we had three of our nine years old students who published books and they were all nine years. One published a book on great fathers and he was inspired by his father who owns a massive hospital in Nigeria, another one who loves health wrote on how to care for the body, and the third girl wrote about global warming. It was quite very inspiring but this year we have five students of Young Public Speakers club launching diverse areas of their unique personality. Two of our students are doing an art exhibition, the third person is writing a dictionary of 218 words for children and he did everything wonderfully then the fourth one is launching a mini fashion house and the fifth one who sings a lot is launching an album. One of the uniqueness of this year’s event is that we allowed the children to be themselves without any parents’ interference and the children are all showcasing different talent and skills. So personally I have been so much inspired by this year’s event and I believe everyone in Nigeria should see this.
What is the age limit for admitting students into young speakers club?
Admissions is strictly between six years and twelve years and there is a reason for it and it’s because within that period is the formative years of the child. When the child becomes 13 he is entering into adult hood but it’s a period of confusion where they are neither adult nor children and have all the features of an adult but cannot carry out the responsibility of an adult.
These kids are all from different schools so how do you get them together? What’s the admission process like or is it open?
Yes it’s open and we meet at Grange school GRA Ikeja on Saturdays and after which they go back to their different schools.
For people who are far away from where you meet at Grange school G.R.A, Ikeja. How do they get across to you?
We are still on the foundational stage of the idea. Soon we will develop into having centers spread across. For now our website would be a sure way of getting in touch with us; www.eloquentspeech.com   e a website which is eloquent speech.com and information’s about YPS is there so for now it’s at one location but we are looking at expanding in the near future to different places. In general admission is open and kids can come from different places so long as they can read and are up to six years of age.
Is there any specific time for entry into the club or can students be admitted at any time?
Usually it’s a one year subscription and it usually commences from January of every year so people who are interested to join should look forward to January 2016 for the next admission processes. We run three Saturdays in a month which is the second, third and the last Saturday of every month.
So what are the benefits for joining YPS?
Essentially it’s a leadership training school an etiquette school and a finishing school so character is built, leadership skills are built as well as communication skills are built then talents are enhanced and maximized. These are the four cardinal values of YPS. And within that same year you are going to build your leadership skills as well as handle assignments that will help you discover your talents and you are going to come out with a project that is either in line with your passion or your inner skill. So we are building character, competence, communication and leadership skills.
Does the subscription fee take care of the special projects undertaken by the kids?
The subscription fee is just for the training and paying of teachers who train these students. Parents take care of the bills for their children projects.
Why the name YPS?
Essentially we have our foundation in basic training on public speaking and effective speaking. we realize that speaking efficiency it’s about the first skill that is required for career success. We realized that speakers are leaders.
From what I see it’s a vision shared by a husband and wife how did that come to be?
The project young public speakers started about four years ago just few years after we were married as we both work together in eloquent speech running trainings. And the discovery was why do we have to train some very high profile individuals at that age who were  supposed to know  such things when they were kids and we begin to wonder what their parents were doing when they were much younger. Because if our parents had taught us these things when we were younger we would not have been at this level. So we met at work and having the same passion and vision made us couple and naturally this is one of the product of such a perfect union.
What would you want to leave with our readers?
They are all invited to come to the program taking place at Number 2, Adegbeyeni Street beside Alade market, Off Allen avenue, Ikeja Lagos.