Academic Activities in Reston, VA

🗣️ Friday Mic Mania Night Presents: "Highest Cheer...A Student Showcase and Holiday Fun!" Friday, December 12 | 5:30-7PM (Mandatory Rehearsal: Choose one — Sunday, Dec. 7 from 11am-1pm Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 5:30-7:30PM Ready to spread some holiday cheer, Highest Speak style? Calling all Winter 2025 Highest Speak Students! You must be registered for a Winter 2025 course to participate. It’s your time to shine (and sleigh)! Join us for our festive Friday Mic Mania Night, a fun and informal evening where students can perform: ✨ A favorite piece from their current or past public speaking class 📝 An original piece they’ve written — holiday-themed or not! 🎄 Students must attend one mandatory rehearsal on either Sunday, Dec. 7 (11 AM–1 PM), Tuesday, Dec. 9 (6–8 PM), or Wednesday, Dec. 10 (6–8 PM). Students will be coached and prepped for performance. All pieces must be 2 minutes or less — longer pieces will be trimmed during rehearsal. You’ll select your rehearsal date at checkout. 🎤 On Friday, Dec. 12 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, students will perform for a small and supportive audience — each performer may bring up to 2 guests. 🎁 Expect some surprise fun! Instructors may perform a holiday-themed piece or lead festive games for students and families. 🪑 We’ll provide a mix of chairs and cozy floor pillows 💬 No microphones — just big voices and bold performances! ⚠️ Limited performance spots available! 📌 This event is only open to enrolled Winter Highest Speak students — sign up ASAP to reserve your spot!

🗣️ Friday Mic Mania Night Presents: "Highest Cheer...A Student Showcase and Holiday Fun!" Friday, December 12 | 7:30-9pm (Mandatory Rehearsal: Choose one — Sunday, Dec. 7 from 3-5pm Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 6-8pm Ready to spread some holiday cheer, Highest Speak style? Calling all Winter 2025 Highest Speak Students! You must be registered for a Winter 2025 course to participate. It’s your time to shine (and sleigh)! Join us for our festive Friday Mic Mania Night, a fun and informal evening where students can perform: ✨ A favorite piece from their current or past public speaking class 📝 An original piece they’ve written — holiday-themed or not! 🎄 Students must attend one mandatory rehearsal on either Sunday, Dec. 7 (11 AM–1 PM), Tuesday, Dec. 9 (6–8 PM), or Wednesday, Dec. 10 (6–8 PM). Students will be coached and prepped for performance. All pieces must be 2 minutes or less — longer pieces will be trimmed during rehearsal. You’ll select your rehearsal date at checkout. 🎤 On Friday, Dec. 12 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, students will perform for a small and supportive audience — each performer may bring up to 2 guests. 🎁 Expect some surprise fun! Instructors may perform a holiday-themed piece or lead festive games for students and families. 🪑 We’ll provide a mix of chairs and cozy floor pillows 💬 No microphones — just big voices and bold performances! ⚠️ Limited performance spots available! 📌 This event is only open to enrolled Winter Highest Speak students — sign up ASAP to reserve your spot!

2nd Sunday Speak-Up! Family Style! EVERY child and adult in our community deserves a more confident voice! Highest Speak is THRILLED to present “Second Sunday Speak-Up!” This is a FREE Public Speaking Workshop (every 2nd Sunday evening of the month!) Bring your whole family to a free, fun, and interactive public speaking workshop designed for Grades 2–8 and their parents! No matter your skill level, this is your chance to build confidence, communicate clearly, and have a blast. In this workshop, you and your family will: - Learn easy, practical strategies to speak confidently in school, at work, or in everyday life. - Play super fun speaking games that get everyone moving, laughing, and practicing their voices. - Experience interactive challenges that help kids and parents support each other while learning new skills. - Get a sneak peek into our programs and see how public speaking can become a part of your child’s (and your) growth journey. Public speaking skills are critical for school, social situations, work, and even mental health, and this workshop is all about making learning accessible, exciting, and family-friendly! Led by Highest Speak’s Founder, Sumedha Bahri (Patent Attorney, Federal Presentation Coach, Expert Public Speaker and Instructor, and Stand-Up Comic,) all families are bound to walk away with an extra confident boost in their step! 📅 Every 2nd Sunday of the month 🕕 6–7 PM 📍 Our Reston Office! 12310 Pinecrest Rd., Suite 301, Reston VA 22091 Amp up your confidence, cheer each other on, and join a supportive community where every voice matters! Come have fun, play games, and learn to speak up with confidence — together as a family! Please register one child, and answer the question of how many will attend from your family. (PLEASE do not bring children under grade 2. This is intended for parents and kids grades 2-8.) ** Also, please note that we present similar introductory content for each workshop. If you attend one, you will see very similar content for other workshops of the 2nd Sunday Series.

🎄 Holiday Pitch: A Persuasive Speaking Workshop for Grades 9–12 3.5-Hour Workshop | Festive, Fun, and Full of Confidence-Building In this high-energy holiday workshop, students will learn how to persuade with purpose—through laughter, games, and festive fun! Using holiday-themed prompts and activities, students will explore the fundamentals of persuasive speaking in a playful, non-intimidating environment. 🔑 Workshop Highlights: - Learn the Structure of Persuasive Speeches and how to adjust messaging based on the audience. - Practice Both Prepared and Impromptu Persuasive Speaking, using real-time feedback. - Give and Receive Peer and Instructor Feedback to refine content, tone, and delivery. - We’ll pitch ideas, debate holiday favorites, and craft convincing arguments—all while building speaking confidence and having a blast. Perfect for teens who want to boost their skills for school, interviews, college prep, or life in general. 🎁 Come ready to speak, laugh, and bring your holiday cheer—it’s time to make your pitch!

It’s never too early to have our littles learn to speak up and start building confidence! In this incredibly fun, one-hour mini-workshop, our youngest “squeakers” will be introduced to some fundamental speech performance fundamentals in the most fun way possible! We will play speech games, learn some very simple acronyms, and even get a chance to practice short (and very fun) speeches! Give your little one the tools early to start showing their most confident selves!