Welcome to SpeakWell
Creating a Better World ..One Voice at a Time
HIGHLIGHTS
“When working with students, educators seek to impart skills and knowledge. The fascinating thing about the SpeakWell program is that it allows students to see immediate growth and gain skills that positively impact them in the long term!”
-Phil Lazzaro, Head of the Upper School, Harvey School
SpeakWell Rocks: Helping Students Find Their Voice—and Use It Well
SpeakWell Rocks (SpeakWell) empowers students with the confidence, communication, and mindset skills they need to thrive—on stage, in school, and in life.
What began as a single public speaking and debate class with nine middle school students in New York City has grown into a nationally recognized program serving more than 1,800 students across New York State and Virginia through afterschool programs, sports camps, and acting camps.
SpeakWell students don’t just learn to speak—they lead. Middle school participants became the first in the nation to deliver TEDx talks and to engage in panel discussions alongside senior executives from UBS, BT, Meta, and Amalgamated Bank. The impact is measurable: 98% of participants exceed school communication standards by at least two grade levels. As one student put it simply, “It changed my life.”
SpeakWell is a true community-powered movement. The SpeakWell Rocks Curriculum™ was pioneered by communication executive, entrepreneur, professional speaker, and founder Patty Kennedy, alongside the very first group of nine students in a makeshift classroom. The students knew how to talk. Patty had never taught. What was missing—and what technology alone cannot provide—were the life skills: confidence, emotional intelligence, connection, resilience, and purpose.
Working directly with students, Patty collaborated with business leaders, educators, psychologists, professional athletes, and acclaimed actors to build a program that teaches students how to speak with clarity, debate with confidence, and develop the mindset from those who had done it —in academics, careers, and life - to succeed.
SpeakWell’s impact has been recognized nationally, with features in Fox Business and Forbes, the Amber Grant Award for building students’ well-being, named Best Community-Led Business, Top 30 Inspiring Women to Watch, and a finalist recognition by the Wharton–QS Global Reimagine Education Awards for Nurturing Employability.
“SpeakWell should be a staple in all schools. I can only imagine the impact on future generations because the impact on my children has been extraordinary."
-Annette Cremin, SpeakWell Parent
IMPACT
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SpeakWell students became the first in the country from a K-8 school to deliver TEDx talks.
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SpeakWell 7th-grade students far exceeded 12th-grade speaking and listening standards.
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SpeakWell students are the only students in the country to have spoken on panels with peers and senior executives from international companies, including UBS, BT, Meta & Amalgamated Bank
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SpeakWell students became the first from a K-8 school to write and publish national articles
