Ten CedarBridge students completed an eight-week youth leadership programme on Thursday night.

Toastmasters International is a world wide public speaking organisation for adults. The vice president of education in Toastmasters International (Bermuda), Lorna McGowan, runs the Youth Leadership Programme of Toastmasters International at CedarBridge Academy.

"It is generally just helping them to grow as young people,'' she told The Royal Gazette .

"We are giving them the overall rounding they need to go out and take their place in society and the workplace.'' The eight-week programme aims to improve self confidence, develop leadership skills, improve public speaking ability and improve listening skills.

The students are constructively evaluated.

"The programme is extra-curricular,'' said Ms McGowan.

"The students don't have to come. They came because they wanted to.

"This is a first for the education system in Bermuda and at CedarBridge,'' she added.

There are currently two other branches of the programme in Bermuda, one at Berkeley Institute and the other at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Roberts Avenue in Devonshire.

"The students met every Thursday night after school for an hour and fifteen minutes for eight weeks,'' said Ms McGowan.

She taught the students, but said that as it was a leadership programme she let them do most of the talking, allowing them to develop their skills.

Last Thursday was the final session in the programme, entitled `Show Your Skills'.

The students made a presentation where they did some impromptu speaking, public speaking and evaluations.

The winner of the Impromptu Speaking (Table Topics Master) was Jamari Douglas.

Maya Rica Davis was the winner of the Speakers while Ian Morgan took the Evaluations.

All the students in the programme at CedarBridge were from S1 and S2.

Ms McGowan concluded by telling The Royal Gazette : "The transformation from the start of the programme to this final presentation has been nothing but outstanding and encouraging, as these young people are the future leaders of our Country.''