<p>S2 is a very smart 16 year old guy who needs a major self-esteem boost. For example, he’s in Speech/Improv now. And while he used to make up stories and improv like nothing I’ve ever seen before at home, when when gets up in front of people he turns red and practically just freezes. He also has a great deal of difficulty conversing.</p>
<p>So I was wondering if any of you have run across any summer camps or other programs that can help a kid like this?</p>
<p>This is a confidance issue to focus on, and 16 year olds are in a phase that it’s more difficult to get up in front of his peers and take a risk. He might be having a harder time conjuring up Impro on the spot, rather than following a script, if he’s not comfortable on stage in the first place.</p>
<p>For some practice in getting up in front of an audience, you/he might want to investigate summer theater groups in your area that put on a show during the summer. (They may also go all year round, but usually their productions are now, not the start-up.) We have a program for hs kids called “Summer Youth Festival”. </p>
<p>For a summer camp possibility, you might want to investigate a program called Summer Institute for the Gifted. They offer very interesting academic programs for high schoolers as well as a theater production as an EC. My kids did both of these and I highly recommend them.
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<p>I (still) had this problem in college. I solved it by taking a Public Speaking course at the local Community College. Speaking three times a week to a bunch of complete strangers was a fabulous tonic. YMMV of course.</p>
<p>I don’t have any advice if you’re trying to find a solution to the speech problem per se.
But if you’re looking for an overall self-esteem building experience, I’d recommend something outdoorsy along the lines of Outward Bound. Particularly if your son isn’t terribly outdoorsy or athletic. Climbing a mountain, hiking for hours, rapelling down a cliff can be incredibly empowering, particularly for boys. My own son – not a terribly outgoing kid – gained confidence and a a lot of maturity after doing this program in Colorado for a couple of summers:
[CYP</a> Teen Adventure Camp: ages 15-17, Boulder, CO](<a href=“http://www.coloradoyouthprogram.org/teen_adventure_camp/index.htm]CYP”>http://www.coloradoyouthprogram.org/teen_adventure_camp/index.htm)</p>
<p>It’s a lot cheaper than Outward Bound, and they provide all the gear, making this a particularly well priced experience.</p>
<p>I would hope his HS teacher has ideas. The class should be giving students tools they can use. Perhaps finding out the course goals will help. I’m presuming this is a semester course that just started. By the end of it he may have made many changes and a summer camp may be uneeded. Ask his teacher.</p>
<p>Toastmasters International runs wonderful programs that help people become more comfortable with public speaking. They’re usually free or low-cost, and a lot of fun, too.</p>
<p>My son had this issue and spending one year on the debate team REALLY helped. I think it was because in debate you have to know your subject matter inside and out and from all sides, plus you are so focused on stating your argument that you don’t have time to get nervouse.</p>