what do you write in a class representative speech

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Class Representative Speech - 10 Lines, Short and Long Speech

• Speech on Class Representative -

The class representative is responsible for representing the interests of their classmates , and for ensuring that their ideas and concerns are heard and addressed. The class representative is a key link between the student council and the rest of the school, and they are responsible for communicating with their classmates and keeping them informed about what is happening in the student council and the school.

10 Lines about Class Representative

Short speech on class representative, long speech on class representative.

A class representative is a student who is elected by their classmates to represent their class on the student council or other governing body.

The class representative serves as a voice for their classmates and ensures that their ideas and concerns are heard and addressed.

The class representative may also be involved in organising events and projects for their class.

The class representative is typically a student who is elected to serve a specific term, often one academic year.

To be a successful class representative, a student must have strong leadership skills, good communication skills, and a willingness to work hard.

The class representative is responsible for representing the interests of their classmates to the student council and the school administration.

The class representative may also be involved in organising events and projects for their class, such as fundraisers and community service projects.

The class representative is a key member of the school community, and they play an important role in fostering a positive and inclusive culture in their class.

Being a class representative is a rewarding and challenging experience, and it can provide students with valuable leadership skills and experience.

By serving as a class representative, a student can make a positive impact on their classmates and their school and can help to create a better and more inclusive school community.

Actions I will take

As your class representative, I will be a voice for all of you and make sure that your ideas and concerns are heard and addressed. I will work closely with our teacher and the rest of the student council to represent our class and make sure that our class has a strong presence in the school community. As a class representative, I will have an important role to play in our school community. By representing the interests of all your classmates and working to make our class a better place, you can make a real difference and have a positive impact on the lives of your peers.

I have a lot of experience in leadership roles, both inside and outside of school. I have been on the student council before and I have organised several successful events and projects. I am also a member of the debate team and the school band, and I have demonstrated my ability to work well with others and to be a responsible and reliable leader.

If you elect me as your class representative, I promise to do my best to serve our class and to make sure that your voices are heard. I will be available to listen to your ideas and concerns and to work with you to make our class a better place.

Thank you for considering me as your class representative. I hope that you will allow me to serve our class and be a strong advocate for all of you.

The class representative plays a crucial role in the school community, and they are an important part of the student council or other governing bodies.

Why should I be selected?

There are several reasons why I should be selected as a class representative. Some of these reasons are that I have a proven track record of leadership and responsibility, through involvement in extracurricular activities, community service projects, or other experiences.

I am a good listener and communicator, and I can effectively represent the ideas and concerns of my classmates. I am organised and reliable, and I can manage multiple tasks and responsibilities. I am committed to making a positive impact in Ir school and Ir class, and I am willing to work hard to serve my classmates and make Ir class a better place. I have a positive attitude and a willingness to work cooperatively with others, including classmates, teachers, and the other members of the student council. I am a good role model for my classmates, and I set a positive example for others to follow.

I have a deep understanding of the issues and concerns that are important to my classmates, and I am committed to advocating for their interests. I have a passion for making a difference and for making our school and class a better place, and I am willing to put in the time and effort to achieve that goal. Overall, these are some of the reasons why I should be selected as a class representative. I have the skills, experience, and dedication to be an effective and successful class representative, and I am well-suited to serve my classmates and make a positive impact in my school community.

If I am elected as your class representative, I promise to do my best to serve our class and to make sure that your voices are heard. I will be available to listen to your ideas and concerns and to work with you to make our class a better place.

What will I do

As your class representative, I will make sure that your ideas and concerns are heard by the student council and the school administration. I will work closely with our teacher and the other members of the student council to represent our class and make sure that our class has a strong presence in the school community. I will also help to organise events and projects for our class, such as fundraisers, community service projects, and class trips.

I will communicate with you regularly to keep you informed about what is happening in the student council and the school, and I will be available to listen to your ideas and concerns. I believe that I have the skills, experience, and dedication to be an effective class representative, and I would be honoured to have the opportunity to serve our class. Thank you for considering me as your class representative. I hope that you will allow me to serve our class and be a strong advocate for all of you.

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• Student Council speeches

Student Council Speeches

By:  Susan Dugdale  

How to write a winning speech: a template, guidelines, plus example speeches

Student Council Speeches mark the end of an election campaign.

Will yours be successful?

The final answer is in the hands of your fellow students. It's entirely their decision.

However, up until they mark their voting papers 'yes' or 'no' you have the potential to make their choice of candidate for the upcoming year 'you'.

How to write a great student council speech 

Use the quick links below to find what you need to write a great student council speech, whether it's the President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer role you're after.

• the primary purpose of your speech
• a template that includes all the necessary elements of a good Student Council speech
• points to consider carefully before you write
• an example Student Council President speech
• an example Student Council Vice President speech
• an example Student Council Secretary speech
• an example Student Council Treasurer speech
• a printable speech planner and outline to download
• vital tips for rehearsal . These make the difference between looking and sounding polished and bumbling.
• a link to a collection of videoed student council speeches
• how to manage anxiety about speaking in front of others

Understanding your speech purpose

Understanding the nature or purpose of your speech could make all the difference between winning and losing.

Student Council speeches are persuasive speeches . Their ultimate goal is to get you the YES vote.

To help you achieve that use the template, (framework or pattern), below to cover all the essential elements you need to pull together.

In addition, it will structure your speech logically, and effectively, from its opening through to its close.

(I've turned the template into a printable enabling you to plan and outline your speech efficiently and easily. You can download it from the link further down the page.)

Return to Top

Student Council speeches template

• Greeting - Attention Getter - The Hook You'll need an opening statement or rhetorical  question to sit your audience up with open ears and minds. For more see: How to write a speech introduction: 12 of the best ways to start.  
• Who you are - your name, your place or grade in the school, and maybe, your hobbies or interests, and the clubs or teams you're a member of. For example, Amnesty International, the speech and debate club, cross-country and basketball. And if you've used a campaign slogan work it in. It'll jog people's memories. 'Ah, yes, that person!', they'll think. Being known and familiar gives you a head start.
• What you want - the role you are campaigning for: President, Vice President,  Treasurer, Secretary, Historian...
• What you are going to do for the audience - benefits to them in exchange for their vote. (Brief summary -you will expand this in the body of your speech.)
• Credibility - your qualification or expertise establishing your fitness for the role you want. (Brief summary - you will expand this in the body of your speech.)
• Transition leading to...
• Your Main Idea 1 - For example: your goal for the role, what you want to achieve, how you plan to do it, the benefits to your audience - what painful problem(s) will you solve for them, your fitness for the job, transition to...
• Main Idea 2 - Supporting ideas - details and examples - transition to...
• Main Idea 3 - Supporting ideas - details and examples - transition to...

NB. Only include a second and third idea if you have time to expand on them. If not, move through to the conclusion.

• Summary of main points
• Re-statement of what you want - to be elected to the role you're running for
• Re-statement of the benefits to the audience
• Closer, clincher, call for action

Points to consider BEFORE you write your speech

You'll make a better job of completing the printable student council speech template if you  take the time to go through the points below.

And then, read the student council speech examples, before you start to write.

Research the role

Think about your audience, what tone or choice of vocabulary is best suited to them.

Avoid trying to impress with either 'big' words or use of slang. Both are traps! Be yourself. Authentic. Real.

Keep your language conversational rather than overly formal and use smaller rather than large sentences.

Try using active rather than passive words. These convey enthusiasm. For examples, see this page on using action verbs . You'll discover how to go from boring bla bla bland to dynamic excitement.

What 'hook' will you use to get them to listen? Humor? Humor is good if it is relevant and inclusive rather than exclusive. (No 'in' jokes!).

Your goal in the role you want

Avoid setting up expectations that you will deliver beyond your capability. :-)

It might be very tempting, but can you really reduce school hours, increase academic standards, introduce a range of exciting new extracurricular activities, as well as have a 'green day' and a movie night every month? Please keep it real!

Your credibility or qualifications

Now is not the time either to be shy or arrogantly big-headed! Let the audience know how right you are for the role you want.

Set yourself apart from other candidates by sharing compelling personal stories or anecdotes that both support your pitch, and show you understand the key issues that matter to your fellow students.

Your school's requirements

If your speech does not meet pre- established criteria in any way you may find it is returned to you edited. It's safer to find out what those criteria are BEFORE writing to avoid having to re-write or worse, being disqualified entirely.

Mockery and personal insults are not clever. They boomerang back on you, letting your audience know you're not to be trusted and neither are you ready for leadership.

Readily acknowledging the skill and expertise of your fellow candidates sincerely in a way that doesn't demean yourself, or them, shows an open mind and maturity.

Aim to have your speech ready BEFORE the deadline.

Give yourself time to prepare thoroughly, including time to review of your opponents' campaigns. That can be very useful for seeing their strengths as well as their weaknesses, which you can then respond to in your own material.

Student Council President speech example 

Here's a sample student council speech. I've written it from the perspective of someone running for President.

As you read it, imagine it said aloud. That will help you get the rhythm and flow of language. The speech is between 3 - 4 minutes long, depending on how quickly you speak.

Vote Sophia Clarke for Student Council President

"I’ve got a question for you. I’m not asking you to shout your answer out, or raise your hand. All I’m asking is that you give it room in your mind. Let it sit for a bit, and have a think about it.

My question is – do you believe like I do, that all of us deserve the opportunity to make the best of ourselves? Not second best, 3 rd , or even, highly commended. The BEST.

I’m Sophia Clarke. I’m in the 12 th  grade, and I’m running for president. My vision is that each student is enabled to develop the skills and confidence to become the bigger, better version of themselves. The best they can be.  Regardless of who they are, and what they need to achieve that.

It’s an audacious goal. Some would say an idealistic, rather than a realistic, one.

However I say it’s awesome. And that you’re intelligent people who realize that reaching any goal starts with taking the first step.

So let me remind you why choosing me, Sophia Clarke, for president, is also choosing a better chance for yourself, and everyone else to grow.

I know you, and I know your needs well. I’ve served on your behalf in multiple roles through my years here; secretary, auditor, public relations officer, and have successfully taken on multiple issues. You’ll know some of those through directly benefiting from them.

It was me who was behind the push to get a regular anti-bullying program running throughout the school. That was two years ago, and now the  Teens Against Bullying  message underpins what we expect and strive for in our every day dealings with each other.

We know incidents of bullying are far fewer as a result. As our orange tee shirts say we ‘choose kindness, acceptance and inclusion’ for each other, and our selves.

Who has been involved in our mentoring-homework program? Either as a buddy-tutor or as a student getting a helping hand? And who, like me, is passionate about making sure that everybody gets a fair go?

In the past year, under my watch that program has escalated. We have over 50% more tutors across more subject areas and more students taking up the offer of help. That is a fabulous outcome for everybody. Truly win-win.

A tick in the box alongside my name is a tick for the continued growth of those programs. Their value is proven. They allow each of us to grow and experience the strength and confidence that comes from knowing that we can make a positive difference in other people’s lives as well as our own.

When you vote me for President you get my capacity to organize, to liaise, to listen and to speak, working for the benefit of everybody.

A 'yes' for me is a 'yes' for appreciating and celebrating diversity.

A 'yes' for me, Sophia Clarke for President, is 'yes' to a better you.

And together that is a 'yes' to a better life, and a better school, for all of us."

Student Council Vice President speech example

Like the speech above, this one runs to approximately 4 minutes when said aloud. Try it and see.

Nod your head if you've heard of the phrase '2nd fiddle' or '2IC'.

What about 'sidekick'?

Not booting a ball in from a sideline but a trusty partner to whoever it is who has the leading role. Like Robin is for Batman.

Or like, {name of your country's Vice President or Prime Minister} is for {name of country's President or Prime Minister} or {name of your school's Vice Principal} is for {name of your school's Principal}!

Well, that's what I aspire to - to become the trusty, tried and true sidekick to the President on our student council.

My name is Jason Hull. I'm in Grade 12 and proudly standing in front of you today as a candidate for the role of Vice President. Yes, I am asking you to give me something of immense value - your vote.

I know what the issues, here at {name of school} are. As part of my campaign, I've interviewed you, and listened. I promise your ideas will be acted on.

Afterall I've trained for this role, put in the time. You know, I know how to get things done.

Last year I served as Secretary and the year before that I was a representative for the committee - proof that I'm committed to bettering our school environment not just for you, but for everybody!

With your support, I'll be your go-to guy when you want to make sure that your opinions and feedback reach the decision-makers.

One of my main goals as your Vice President is to champion your initiatives: amongst others, that's the library extensions you told me about, the desire for healthier food choices in our cafeteria, and the urgent need to increase and diversify the workforce and out-reach opportunities that so many of you mentioned.

Whether you're passionate about improving our school facilities, or enhancing our community involvement, I'll be there to guide and help you. 

In the role of Vice President, I will work alongside the President fulfilling my duties to the best of my ability. 

Together, we'll make sure that your concerns, and hopes are not just heard but actively pursued. Not 'I' will make sure, but 'we'.

There is no 'I' in we, and that too, is a prerequisite of the Vice President's position: the capacity to put aside ego and to work productively for the good of all.

Because together, we, the Vice President, the President and the other council members, are stronger and can achieve more.

The Vice President role may be a support act but it's a vital one.  To succeed in it, collaboration is key. I promise to work hand in hand not only with the President but also with the entire student council team, our teachers, and our administration on your behalf.

Unity is strength. More than ever, we need to nurture understanding, kindness and respect for each other. Regardless of your grade, interests, or background, I want every one of you to feel valued and heard.

That's a goal many would say is impossible.

However, I say, we need to be the difference we want to see in the world. And to borrow those famous words of Helen Keller's: "Alone we can do so little. Together we can so much."

It would be an honor to be your voice, your eyes and your ears as Vice President.

So, I ask you, will you trust me to have your best interests at heart? Will you enable me to work on your behalf?

And are you willing to give me, Jason Hull, your vote for best sidekick, aka. Vice President?

I'll take those smiles, as a 'Yes'.

Example Student Council speeches for Secretary and Treasurer

Click the link to read an:

• example Student Council speech for the role of Secretary . Plus, an overview of the Secretary's main tasks and responsibilities.
• example Student Council speech for the role of Treasurer . Plus, an overview of the Secretary's main tasks and responsibilities.

(This page was getting far too long to include them both here. ☺)

Get the printable student council speech outline

Click on the image below to open a downloadable printable student council speech planner and outline pdf. (Please note it will open in a new window.)

Your completed outline will provide both the structure and the content you need to efficiently write your speech.  

After you've finished writing your speech

Now that you've finished writing, you're ready to begin work on your delivery: how you present the speech to your audience.

The first step in that process is making sure your speech fits comfortably into whatever time you've been allocated.

After that comes rehearsal. The information you need for both steps is below.

Timing and word count

Student Council Speeches are generally brief: around 1-4 minutes long which isn't a lot of time! That's between approximately 150 - 600 words at an average speaking rate of 150 words per minute.

To be safe say your speech out loud as if you were delivering it for real and time it. In some schools going overtime can result in being disqualified.

Going faster to fit everything in

Please do not be tempted to say it faster to get everything you planned said. As a strategy it doesn't work. You'll end up gabbling: speaking far too quickly and people won't be able to understand what you're saying.

Cutting out extra material

If you have got too much material for the time limit, cut it. Choose the least important ideas to let go of first. Then move on to rephrasing to reduce the number of words used to express a point.

When you think it's done, repeat the test. Say it out loud as if you were actually giving it, and time it.

If you're now within the allotted time, you are ready for rehearsal.

For more about word count see: how many words per minute in a speech

How to rehearse your speech

Please, please  rehearse your speech ! Do not be tempted to wing it. The more you rehearse the easier it will be to deliver it well.

Remember it is only 1 to 4 minutes long! In that time your goal is to have your audience ready to vote for you.

You can help them make that decision by being confident and prepared. You will show that through:

• your speaking style  - natural, sincere, fluent, understandable (clear and able to be heard without straining)
• your body language  - relaxed, open gestures, good eye contact and smiling
• your personal grooming or presentation  because how you look 'speaks' too. Make sure that your clothing and general grooming supports your speech because, like it or not, you will be judged on both!

Go to: how to rehearse a speech properly .

 Videoed Student Council speech examples  

How do other people handle a Student Council speech? What's their content and delivery like?

Are they funny? Formal? Too hurried? Confident? Familiar with the audience?

It can help to look at what others have done. Even if it's only to decide their way will not be your way!

Click the link to access a collection ten videoed student council campaign speeches from the 2018 student council executive board candidates for Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA. 

At the foot of the article you'll find links to the videos of the school's 2015, 2016 and 2017 student council campaign speeches.

A word of warning

Ps. panic not.

If you find yourself getting anxious over the thought of delivering your speech, please check this page for help.

• How to deal with acute public speaking anxiety: 14 ways that will help

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• Delivery Techniques →

Student Council Speech Ideas: How to Craft the Perfect Speech

Now that you’ve decided to take on the challenge of running for student council, it’s time to consider how to craft that all-important speech that will make your candidacy stand out from the rest.

It goes without saying that writing the perfect speech requires some preparation and a variety of creative approaches. This post will provide you with student council speech ideas that will help you put together a memorable and persuasive talk that will propel your candidacy.

Here, we will look at ways to structure your speech, as well as techniques for convincing the student body that you’re the right person for the job. With the following tips, you’ll have the winning speech that gets you elected!

Understand the Position and Responsibilities

When crafting the perfect student council speech, it is important to understand the position and responsibilities associated with a student council leader.

Student council leaders are elected by fellow students to represent their class or school in governance-related decisions. In addition to seeking input from peers, they often work with faculty members, administrators, and other key stakeholders when making major decisions.

Being a student council leader requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to think critically. It is important to understand the roles and responsibilities of other student leaders, staff, and faculty members alike so that collaboration can be fostered under one’s leadership.

Not only is it essential to maintain positive relationships but also to demonstrate proficiency in areas such as problem solving, communication, and decision-making.

While some may view the role of a student council leader as administrative paperwork and organizational tasks, a leader should have an understanding of more than just policymaking. They must be able to promote good citizenship among peers and create an atmosphere that encourages engagement.

Drafting the perfect student council speech should not be done without regard for the objectives of a student council leader.

When speaking on behalf of peers it is essential to remember that both knowledge of positions and values are required for successful leadership. With this in mind we can move forward into the next section where we explore “What Does a Student Council Leader Do?”

What Does a Student Council Leader Do?

Being a student council leader requires more than just giving a speech .

The responsibilities of leading the student council consist of building productive relationships, setting ambitious goals and executing plans, communicating effectively, listening to peers and understanding their concerns, advocating for students’ rights in the school and community, and organizing events to benefit the student body.

Leaders must possess both soft skills such as being organized and hard skills like public speaking . With both sets of skills, these leaders are able to skillfully manage a team or individual volunteers and create a focus on important goals that the council wants to accomplish.

A successful student council leader should have a strong sense of responsibility and accountability while also displaying enthusiasm towards achieving collective goals.

The debate can be seen as to whether or not student council leaders should participate more in decision-making power or serve more as figureheads for their group goals.

Advocates for more decision-making authority argue that student councils can be valuable partners with school administrative teams by providing insight into issues that face students directly and providing perspective into how policies are playing out in the student body.

Opposing sides argue that although student councils can provide insight into certain issues, they cannot be expected to make major decisions regarding school policies given their lack of experience with those matters.

No matter the opinion on this debate, all agree that student council leaders play an integral role in school culture and environment by representing their peers. Those seeking election to a leadership role must demonstrate their commitment to furthering the mission of their student body.

This is done through crafting speeches that elucidate why they’re qualified for the position as well as show evidence of previous service accomplishments. To learn how to do this properly, it is useful to understand how to craft the perfect speech by demonstrating your experience.

Demonstrate Your Experience

When crafting your student council speech, it is important to demonstrate your experience and expertise.

Being able to speak confidently about your qualifications and previous accomplishments will help convince your audience of your ability to take on a leadership role.

Start off with a statement that introduces yourself and the reasons why you are qualified for the position. Use specific examples of projects or responsibilities that you have undertaken in the past, as well as how you were successful in completing them.

You may want to describe any volunteer or organizational activities that you are involved in or any educational qualifications or awards that you may have earned.

It is also worthwhile debating the various pros and cons of your candidacy. This will demonstrate your ability to think analytically, as well as showcase your knowledge on the subject matter. However, be warned to not make any personal attacks or remarks, which could alienate portions of your audience if they disagree with your viewpoint.

The next section will discuss how to talk about your leadership skills and convince your audience of their importance in making an impactful student council member.

Most Important Summary Points

When crafting a student council speech, it is important to demonstrate experience and qualifications to ensure an effective appeal to the audience. Talking about past achievements and providing specific examples will help make a case for why you are the best fit for the position.

Additionally, it may be beneficial to provide an analytical debate stating both the pros and cons of your candidacy; however, it should be done without making any personal attacks on opponents. Finally, discussing leadership skills and their relevance to the role may also work in favor of your candidacy.

Talk About Your Leadership Skills

When crafting a student council speech, it is important to talk about one’s qualifications in order to demonstrate leadership.

Before doing so, it is beneficial to list tangible accomplishments, such as working on a particular project or volunteering for an organization. It is also important to discuss any awards won or leadership roles held prior to speaking in front of the student council.

Being able to communicate one’s importance and impact helps prove why one is the best candidate for the role and can potentially sway the audience in their favor.

On the other hand, discussing past and current leadership roles does not always need to include tangible accomplishments.

Talking about oneself in terms of what they have learned and how they plan on using it moving forward can also be very powerful. For example, talking about mistakes made, lessons learned, and how one plans on incorporating that knowledge into their candidacy can show wisdom beyond their years.

It can also serve as proof that even though they may be young, they are still capable of making a great contribution to the student council if elected.

Ultimately, striking a balance between tangible accomplishments and experiences learned will ensure that your leadership speaks for itself during your student council speech.

By combining both sides of the argument and effectively conveying them to your audience, you will be best positioned for success when discussing your leadership skills with potential voting members of the student council. Now, let’s move on to discussing our ideas and goals for being on the council if given the opportunity.

Discuss Your Ideas and Goals

When discussing your ideas and goals, it is important to be direct and succinct. Start by introducing yourself and briefly outlining why you are running for Student Council in the first place.

Explain what inspired you to run and what you hope to bring to the table. Being clear and concise while still providing tangible examples will help voters better understand both your dedication and drive.

Once your motivation has been made clear, detail the specific things you plan to change or implement as a representative of the student body if elected.

Speak from the heart and talk about what issues are most important to you. During this time, it is crucial that you have done research on the particular problems that may be faced by the student council at their respective school. Then, use this information to inform your ideas, goals, and propositions on any particular issue.

In addition to thoroughly preparing for your speech in advance, it is also a good idea to practice beforehand. Students should train themselves not only in speaking but also in presenting facts throughout speech so that they can defend their ideas if someone questions them.

To ensure success during a presentation, test yourself with hard questions, rehearse extensively and get comfortable with the material ahead of time.

Lastly, students should remember that their goal is to deliver an effective speech which can influence enough people’s desire to make a difference within their school and community.

Debating both sides when discussing your ideas and goals is a great way to both show your understanding of a particular subject and present yourself as an engaged student looking to truly make a change.

Showing awareness of how opposing views affect policy changes can demonstrate your analytical skills while making sure everyone hears all sides of an argument allows for more informed decision-making among fellow students.

With this understanding in place, students can then start considering proposed changes or improvements for their respective student councils with confidence.

Explain Proposed Changes and Improvements

When proposing changes and improvements in a student council speech, it is important to explain why the proposed changes are necessary.

In order to effectively discuss both sides of the argument, craft your speech so that you first suggest why the changes are needed, followed by possible counterarguments and how you plan on addressing them.

Explain the current problems and deficiencies within your community or organization, as this can help emphasize why the suggested changes are needed.

For example, if you are suggesting increasing funding for student sports teams, you could draw attention to their lack of proper equipment and uniforms due to not enough money.

Offering solutions on how to acquire more funds is also important; brainstorm with other student council members to come up with ideas like requesting donations from teachers or local businesses.

In addition, anticipate and address any doubts that your peers may have about the suggested changes. Be aware of other perspectives surrounding the issue at hand and discuss every angle in detail in your speech.

If some students feel as though certain aspects of the changes will cost too much for their comfort, propose ways that costs can be kept low without sacrificing results.

Additionally, point out positive aspects of the proposed changes from multiple points of view, such as how they benefit various groups within the school or organization.

Explaining proposed changes and improvements is a key tool in crafting an effective student council speech. It’s important to detail why each change is necessary and offer solutions on how to make it happen while also standing firm on your viewpoint.

By showing dedication and commitment towards these ideas through a comprehensive analysis of both sides of each argument , you’ll be able to give an impactful speech that resonates with your peers.

Show Dedication and Commitment

When crafting a student council speech, showing dedication and commitment is key. This is important to discuss with students as they prepare to give their speeches because it will help them to sound confident in their ability to carry out the tasks of being on student council.

This can be done through highlighting past accomplishments that demonstrate a commitment to projects, as well as pledging to continue to work hard on future initiatives. It is also beneficial for speakers to emphasize the importance of making an impact both on campus and within the broader community.

It is important to highlight both sides of the argument when discussing dedication and commitment. For example, it can also be beneficial to discuss how there are many challenges in achieving objectives, but if one is motivated and determined, goals can still be realized.

Also, considering how student council represents a wide array of points of view and perspectives, it is essential for speakers to commit to being open-minded when discussing issues. Acknowledging opposing views with respect shows dedication and commitment not only to staying civil but also representing everyone in student council effectively.

Ultimately, dedicating time, energy and effort and remaining committed throughout this process is essential for success when it comes to executing student council duties.

By showcasing these qualities during a speech, speakers have the opportunity to demonstrate determination and initiative that fellow students should admire and stand behind. With that in mind, addressing the student body appropriately will help ensure an effective presentation overall.

Address the Student Body Appropriately

When addressing the student body, an important consideration for any Student Council speech should be to consider the audience.

After all, this is ultimately who the message is intended for. You want to make sure that you craft a message that speaks to and resonates with your peers.

This can be as simple as mentioning a common interest or having a connection with something they can relate to, such as pop culture.

However, it is also important to remember to maintain a certain level of professionalism in your speech throughout so as not to alienate members of the student body or allow the tone and atmosphere of the occasion to become unwelcoming.

It is also important to address different members including teachers involved in helping put together the council, staff members and other bodies involved in school activities.

It can also be beneficial to openly thank those involved for their hard work and dedication regardless of opinion or stance during preparations for the council meeting and election process.

This shows respect from one side as well as appreciation from you—to endear yourself more towards the wider student body.

Regardless of the approach when addressing fellow students, no matter how persuasive or heartfelt they may be, you will want to make sure that your words are not viewed as inflammatory or disrespectful.

Consideration must be taken into account when making statements that highlight potential issues within a school or resident authority because these can cast a negative light on you as well as them.

A balanced approach where both sides are heard endorses fairness towards each viewpoint and encourages healthy debate among members of the student body.

Having established what’s appropriate when talking directly to fellow students, it is now time to explore ways of creating a powerful speech to ensure that your message hits all the right notes. The next section will discuss ways in which you can prepare a speech that has maximum impact on the student body.

Prepare a Speech that Hits All the Right Notes

Preparing a speech for student council can be an intimidating process. It is important to make sure that you hit all the right notes within your speech. Through careful planning, practice and consideration of your audience, it is possible to construct an impactful, memorable speech.

When writing your speech, begin by recognizing the qualities that make you a great candidate. Detail the goals of your platform by articulating the various ways in which you will serve your constituents and their needs.

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the real issues facing students and illustrate how you understand their perspectives on them. Showcase your character by outlining concrete actions that demonstrate why you are uniquely qualified for the position.

The most important part of any speech is having a strong conclusion . Your conclusion should restate the core message and summarize some of the key points from throughout the entirety of the address.

Additionally, include a call to action that encourages students to get involved – whether simply by voting or actively campaigning on behalf of your candidacy.

Make sure to end on an inspiring note that reinforces your leadership skills and offers an optimistic outlook for the future of the student body with you as their representative.

Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts on Your Student Council Speech

When crafting your closing remarks, the most important thing to remember is to keep it brief and to the point. Try not to repeat yourself and instead emphasize key points that you want your audience to remember. Here are some tips on how to close your student council speech with impact:

1. Summarize Your Ideas: After spending time talking about your ideas and plans, briefly summarize your message in a few sentences. If you have raised any specific issues, make sure to include any solutions or opinions that you have presented in the course of your speech.

2. Express Gratitude: Show your appreciation towards all those who voted for you and stuck around to listen, thanking them for their time and energy spent affirming their belief in you as a capable leader.

3. Leave On A High Note: End on a high note by expressing optimism about the future outcomes of the initiatives you raised during your speech, no matter what the results may be. Take this opportunity to give the audience a feeling of immense hope and excitement, ensuring they depart with a positive outlook on all that can be achieved through leadership.

4. Keep It Short And Simple: Above all, ensure that whatever final words you choose express confidence in yourself and remember that overthinking can derail your performance. Do not give too much information but rather provide powerful points that will ensure everyone knows where you stand—then step down!

In conclusion, taking into consideration the tips outlined above when creating your closing remarks will ensure dramatic effect when delivering a successful student council speech. Keep it short, sweet, memorable and sincere—the perfect recipe for an effective finish!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important elements to include in a student council speech.

One of the most important elements to include in a student council speech is the audience. When crafting the perfect speech, it is important for the speaker to consider who their audience is, and how their topic will be received. It’s best to tailor the content to fit the interests of the particular audience, so that they can relate more directly to what you’re saying.

Another key element would be credibility. The speaker should provide solid evidence and facts behind their ideas, in order to gain trust from their audience and prove that their points are valid and reliable. This includes anticipating any questions or counterarguments and being prepared with justifications for any potential criticism.

Additionally, the organization of the speech should be a priority. The speaker should have an outline or plan in place beforehand, so as not to get lost or overwhelmed in the middle of their address. Having an organized structure helps maintain unity throughout the speech, while promoting a professional presentation overall.

Finally, an effective student council speech should also tell a story . Incorporating personal anecdotes or experiences related to your topic can help make your words more memorable and meaningful to your audience. Doing this can also create a more intimate connection between yourself and whoever is listening.

How should a student council speech be structured?

A student council speech should be structured in such a way as to effectively communicate the speaker’s ideas while keeping their audience engaged .

The speech should generally start with an attention-grabbing introduction , followed by a statement of purpose or goal that outlines the speaker’s main argument. The body of the speech should then provide evidence and reasoning for why the argument is valid. Finally, the conclusion of the speech should reiterate the key points, summarize the overall message and close with a memorable quote or call to action.

In order for a student council speech to be effective, it must be well organized and cohesive. To ensure this, each point should be supported by clear examples and logical evidence .

Additionally, arguments and information should be presented in chronological order, making it easy for listeners to follow the flow of thought being presented. Visual aids can also be extremely helpful in breaking up sections of longer speeches while providing supporting images and facts.

Overall, crafting the perfect student council speech involves organizing information into an understandable format while creating an engaging story throughout. By highlighting key arguments and providing persuasive evidence along the way, presenters have a better chance of having their message heard and remembered.

What are some effective techniques for delivering a student council speech?

When delivering a student council speech, there are a few key techniques that can help make it more effective.

1. A Clear Starting Point: Start your speech by introducing yourself and briefly explain why you are running for office. Make sure to be extremely clear with your audience so they understand where you stand.

2. Speak Intentionally: Speak slowly and intentionally so your points come across clearly without stuttering or stumbling over words. Pause in order to better make your point, gather your thoughts, and allow the audience to digest what you’ve said.

3. Use Audience Engagement: Ask the audience questions and provide them with opportunities to show their support or contribute to the conversation. This is an effective way of getting the audience involved while also allowing you to gauge their interests or lack thereof, thus providing feedback that can inform your future decisions if elected.

4. Establish Goals: Provide realistic and achievable goals that you plan to accomplish during your time in office, should you be elected. Showing a desire for change and progress will ensure that the audience understands what you are striving for and hopefully motivate them to support you in achieving it.

5. Rehearse: Rehearase tiyour speech multiple times beforehand in front of friends, family members, or even teachers, in order to become comfortable with every aspect of it – from its content to its delivery – as this helps create an easier flow throughout your delivery when done live.

Above all else, it is important that you remain confident in what you are saying and who you are as a person – this will give the audience assurance that they are voting for the right candidate who is able to fulfill their goals and expectations as student council president!

The Ultimate Go-To Guide to Prepare for Your Student Council Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Topics

Delivering a compelling student council speech is a crucial opportunity for students to make their voices heard and leave a lasting impact on their school community. The role of the student council is not only to represent the interests of fellow students but also to initiate positive change and contribute towards the overall development of the school.

Crafting an effective student council speech requires careful thought, preparation, and an understanding of what resonates with your audience. In this section, we will explore the importance of a student council speech and provide valuable insights on how to make a lasting impression that captures the attention and support of your peers.

Whether you are running for class president, vice president, treasurer, or any other position within the student council, your speech serves as an opportunity to showcase your leadership skills, articulate your vision for improvement, and inspire others to rally behind you. It is not just about winning votes but about demonstrating your dedication to serving the needs and aspirations of your fellow students.

Throughout this section, we will delve into strategies that can help you deliver a powerful student council speech that stands out from the rest. From crafting a strong opening statement to highlighting relevant experiences and outlining actionable plans for change, we will guide you through each step of the process.

Remember that every word you speak has the potential to influence opinions and shape perceptions. By mastering the art of delivering an impactful student council speech, you can become an agent of positive change within your school community. So let’s dive in and discover how you can make a lasting impact through your words!

• 1. Understand the Role of the Student Council and Identify Your Goals
• 2. Research the Audience and Tailor Your Message accordingly
• 3. Craft a Compelling Opening that Grabs Attention and Sets the Tone
• 4. Structure Your Speech Effectively with Clear Main Points and Supporting Details
• 5. Develop Persuasive Arguments and Present them with Confidence
• 6. Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse Your Speech to Build Confidence

Step 1: Understand the Role of the Student Council and Identify Your Goals

In order to deliver an impactful student council speech, it is crucial to first understand the role of the student council and identify your goals. By doing so, you can effectively communicate your vision and aspirations to your fellow students.

The student council plays a vital role in representing the student body and advocating for their needs and interests. It is a platform where students can voice their concerns, propose ideas for improvement, and contribute to the overall development of the school community.

When preparing your speech, take some time to reflect on what you hope to achieve as a member of the student council. Identify specific goals that align with your values and address issues that are important to your peers. This could range from improving school facilities and promoting extracurricular activities- to fostering inclusivity and enhancing communication between students and faculty.

By clearly defining your goals, you will be able to convey a sense of purpose and passion in your speech. Your fellow students will be more likely to connect with your message if they see that you have a genuine desire to make positive changes within the school community.

Remember, being part of the student council is not just about holding a position or gaining recognition – it is about making a difference. So take this opportunity to inspire others with your ideas, motivate them with your enthusiasm, and demonstrate how you can contribute positively towards creating an inclusive and thriving school environment.

Step 2: Research the Audience and Tailor Your Message accordingly

When preparing a student council speech, it is crucial to understand your audience and tailor your message accordingly. By conducting thorough research on the interests, concerns, and aspirations of your fellow students, you can create a speech that resonates with them and effectively communicates your ideas and goals.

Understanding your audience allows you to speak directly to their needs and desires. Are they looking for more extracurricular activities? Do they want improvements in school facilities or policies? By delving into these questions, you can craft a message that addresses their specific concerns, making it more compelling and persuasive.

Additionally, tailoring your speech to the interests of your audience helps establish a connection with them. When students feel that you genuinely understand their challenges and aspirations, they are more likely to trust you as a candidate and support your ideas.

Researching the audience also enables you to anticipate any potential objections or counterarguments. By addressing these concerns proactively in your speech, you show that you have taken the time to consider different perspectives and are prepared to address them thoughtfully.

In conclusion, researching the audience is an essential step in crafting an impactful student council speech. By understanding their needs, tailoring your message accordingly, and addressing potential objections, you can deliver a compelling speech that resonates with your fellow students and increases your chances of success.

Step 3: Craft a Compelling Opening that Grabs Attention and Sets the Tone

The opening of your student council speech is your chance to capture your audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your presentation. A strong and compelling opening will make a lasting impression and encourage your listeners to pay attention to what you have to say.

Consider starting with a captivating anecdote or a thought-provoking question that relates to the issues you will address in your speech. This will immediately grab your audience’s attention and pique their curiosity. You can also use a powerful quote or statistic to emphasize the importance of your campaign and the changes you hope to bring about.

In addition to capturing attention, the opening of your speech should also establish a rapport with your audience. Share a personal story or experience that demonstrates your understanding of their concerns and shows them that you are genuinely invested in making a difference. This will help create a connection between you and your listeners, making them more receptive to your message.

Step 4: Structure Your Speech Effectively with Clear Main Points and Supporting Details

A well-structured speech is essential for conveying your ideas effectively and ensuring that your audience can follow your train of thought. To achieve this, it is crucial to organize your speech into clear main points and support them with relevant details and examples.

Start by outlining the main ideas or goals you want to communicate in your speech. These could be specific initiatives you plan to implement or broader themes you want to address. Once you have identified your main points, arrange them in a logical order that allows for a smooth flow of information.

For each main point, provide supporting details that substantiate your claims and add credibility to your speech. These could be statistics, personal anecdotes , or expert opinions that illustrate the importance and feasibility of your proposals. Remember to present this information in a clear and concise manner, using language that is accessible to your audience.

Additionally, consider using visual aids such as graphs, charts, or images to enhance your presentation. Visuals can help reinforce your main points and make complex information more digestible for your audience. However, use them sparingly and ensure they complement rather than distract from your speech.

Step 5: Develop Persuasive Arguments and Present them with Confidence

Persuasion is a key element of any successful student council speech. To persuade your audience effectively, you need to develop persuasive arguments and present them with confidence and conviction.

When developing your arguments, consider the needs and concerns of your audience. What solutions can you offer to address these issues? How will your ideas benefit the student body as a whole? By focusing on the needs of your audience and presenting practical and achievable solutions, you can make a compelling case for your candidacy.

To present your arguments with confidence, it is essential to practice your speech thoroughly. Rehearse in front of a mirror or with friends and family, paying attention to your body language, tone of voice, and overall delivery. This will help build your confidence and ensure that you come across as poised and prepared on the day of your speech.

Remember to maintain eye contact with your audience and speak clearly and audibly. Use gestures and facial expressions to emphasize key points and show enthusiasm for your ideas. By exuding confidence and passion, you will inspire trust and captivate your listeners, increasing your chances of winning their support.

Step 6: Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse Your Speech to Build Confidence

No matter how well-prepared you are, delivering a student council speech can be nerve-wracking. However, practicing your speech can help alleviate anxiety and build the confidence you need to deliver a compelling and impactful presentation.

Start by memorizing the key points of your speech. This will allow you to maintain a natural flow of information and engage with your audience more effectively. However, avoid memorizing your speech word-for-word, as this can make you sound robotic and less authentic.

Instead, focus on understanding the overall structure and flow of your speech. Practice delivering it in a conversational manner, using your notes as a reference rather than a script. This will help you adapt to different situations and respond to audience reactions, making your speech more dynamic and engaging.

Additionally, consider recording yourself during practice sessions. This will allow you to evaluate your delivery, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments. Pay attention to your pacing, intonation, and body language, and make conscious efforts to improve these aspects.

Lastly, seek feedback from trusted individuals, such as teachers or mentors, who can provide constructive criticism and help you refine your speech. Incorporate their suggestions and continue to practice until you feel confident and well-prepared.

Sample Speech:

“Good morning everyone! I am absolutely thrilled to be standing before you today as a candidate for the student council. This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference in our school, and I am excited to share my vision with all of you. As a student, I have always been passionate about creating a positive and inclusive environment for everyone. I believe that the student council plays a crucial role in representing the voice of the student body and advocating for their needs and interests. Through my involvement in various extracurricular activities and my dedication to academic excellence, I have developed the skills necessary to be an effective leader in this role.

One of my main goals as a member of the student council is to promote student engagement and participation. I want to ensure that every student’s voice is heard and that they feel empowered to contribute their ideas and opinions. By organizing regular town hall meetings and creating platforms for open dialogue, we can foster a sense of unity and collaboration within our school community.

Together, we can work towards making our school an even better place for everyone.”

Another area that I am very passionate about is enhancing the overall student experience. I believe that education goes beyond the classroom, and it is important to provide students with opportunities for personal growth and development. Through organizing workshops, seminars, and events that focus on various aspects of personal development, such as leadership, communication skills, and mental health, we can empower our fellow students to reach their full potential.

In conclusion, I am truly excited about the possibility of representing you all on the student council. With your support, I am confident that we can create a more inclusive, engaging, and supportive environment for every student in our school. Let’s work together to make a positive impact and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Preparing for your student council speech is a crucial step in your campaign journey. By understanding the importance of your speech, tailoring your message to your audience, crafting a compelling opening, structuring your speech effectively, developing persuasive arguments, and practicing your delivery, you can increase your chances of delivering a memorable and impactful presentation.

Remember, your student council speech is not only an opportunity to showcase your leadership qualities but also a chance to connect with your peers and inspire change. By following these steps and putting in the necessary effort, you can confidently deliver a speech that resonates with your audience and convinces them to vote for you. Check out our communication coaching for more tips!

Now, it’s time to put your preparation into action. Take a deep breath, step onto the stage, and deliver a speech that will make a lasting impression on your fellow students. Good luck!

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Written Samples

10 student council speech samples.

Running for a position on the Student Council is a commendable endeavor that requires courage, planning, and a clear vision. Student Council serves as the voice of the student body, advocating for changes, planning events, and representing student interests.

A strong, compelling speech can significantly impact your campaign, resonating with peers and motivating them to vote for you. This article provides 10 distinct student council speech samples tailored for various roles and personalities.

Student Council Speech Samples

Whether you’re running for president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, or a specific committee, these speeches are designed to inspire and guide you in crafting your unique message.

Speech 1: The Visionary Leader

“building a brighter future together”.

Fellow students, today marks a significant moment in our journey together. I stand before you, not as an individual, but as a representative of the collective dreams and aspirations we all share for our school. As a candidate for your Student Council President, I am committed to making those dreams a reality.

Our school is more than just a building; it’s a vibrant community where each of us has the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed. However, like any community, we face our share of challenges. Whether it’s improving school lunches, increasing club funding, or ensuring that every student’s voice is heard, there is always work to be done.

My vision is to create a more inclusive, supportive, and dynamic school environment. This means establishing open forums where every student can voice their concerns, working closely with administration to implement sustainable changes, and building a culture of mutual respect and collaboration.

I bring to this position my experience as class representative, my passion for student involvement, and my unwavering commitment to our school’s welfare. Together, we can build a brighter future for all students. Let’s make it happen!

Speech 2: The Approachable Vice President

“uniting for a stronger community”.

Hello, fellow students! I am thrilled to stand before you as a candidate for Vice President of the Student Council. My goal is clear: to work alongside the president in creating a united, empowered student body ready to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities that come our way.

As Vice President, I will focus on enhancing communication between the council and you, the students. I plan to set up a suggestions box, hold regular meet-ups, and ensure your ideas and concerns don’t just stay heard but acted upon. I understand the importance of teamwork, and I promise to be an accessible, friendly face you can always turn to.

My dedication to our school community stems from my own experiences as an active member of several clubs and organizations. These experiences have taught me the value of listening, the importance of action, and the transformative power of community spirit. Let’s work together to make our school not just a place of learning, but a home of lasting memories and achievements!

Speech 3: The Meticulous Treasurer

“investing in our future”.

Good day, students! As a candidate for the position of Treasurer, I want to talk about an essential aspect of our student council: fiscal responsibility. The role of Treasurer is more than just handling funds; it’s about ensuring that every dollar you entrust to the council is spent wisely and benefits as many students as possible.

I come to you with a strong background in mathematics and a keen eye for detail, qualities that are crucial for managing our budget effectively. I plan to introduce transparent budget reports, seek your input on spending priorities, and negotiate for better deals on our events and supplies.

Investing in our future means more than just saving money; it means funding initiatives that build our skills, enhance our school spirit, and create lasting memories. With your trust, I promise to be a responsible steward of our resources, always seeking ways to improve our collective experience while maintaining fiscal prudence.

Speech 4: The Organized Secretary

“keeping us connected”.

Hello, everyone! As your prospective Student Council Secretary, I understand the significance of organization and clear communication in making our council effective. My mission is to keep us connected and informed, ensuring that every meeting, every event, and every decision is recorded and communicated to you promptly and clearly.

My approach involves not just meticulous note-taking and organizing but also harnessing technology to streamline our communication. This means regular updates through our school’s website and social media, creating a digital archive of minutes and decisions, and ensuring you’re always in the loop.

By keeping our council’s work transparent and accessible, I aim to build trust and encourage greater participation from all of you. Let’s work together to create a well-informed student body capable of making a difference!

Speech 5: The Dedicated Committee Member

“every voice matters”.

Hi, everyone! Running for a specific committee might seem like a small role, but it’s roles like these that make our student council function effectively. As a candidate for the [Insert Committee Name] committee, I am passionate about [Insert Committee Focus, e.g., environmental issues, school spirit, academic improvement].

My commitment is to bring fresh ideas, boundless energy, and a listening ear to this position. I want to ensure that every student who shares a passion for [Committee Focus] has a platform to express their ideas and see them come to life. Whether it’s organizing events, leading campaigns, or working on improvements, I am ready to dedicate my time and effort to make a real impact.

Your vote means not just support for me but an investment in the area we’re passionate about. Let’s join hands and make [Insert School Name] a beacon of [Committee Focus] excellence!

Speech 6: The Inspirational President

“leading with heart and vision”.

Dear students, as I stand before you, aspiring to be your next Student Council President, I am filled with a sense of purpose and determination. This school is not just an institution but a vibrant community where each of us has the potential to thrive and contribute. As your president, I aim to lead not just with decisions, but with vision, empathy, and unwavering dedication.

My vision for us is a school where every student feels valued and empowered. A place where we tackle challenges head-on, celebrate our diversity, and work collectively towards innovative solutions. I plan to initiate regular student-led forums, champion inclusive policies, and ensure that our activities and decisions reflect the rich tapestry of our student body.

My commitment to you is rooted in a deep belief in teamwork, respect, and perseverance. I have learned through various leadership roles that the key to effective leadership is listening, adapting, and inspiring. Together, we can elevate our school to new heights, create a nurturing environment, and build a legacy of positivity and progress.

Speech 7: The Dynamic Vice President

“collaboration and action”.

Greetings, fellow students! As candidates for Vice President of the Student Council, I am excited about the prospect of working closely with the president to amplify your voices and bring your ideas to fruition. I understand that this role is pivotal in facilitating smooth operations and fostering a spirit of unity and collaboration among us.

My focus will be on bridging the gap between students and the council, ensuring that we are not just a body making decisions but a dynamic team working in sync with the student community. I plan to introduce innovative collaboration tools and platforms where every suggestion is considered, and every voice is heard.

With my experience in organizing school events and managing teams, I bring a set of skills that are crucial for the effective execution of our shared goals. I promise to be proactive, resourceful, and most importantly, accessible to each one of you. Let’s work together to make our school a hub of vibrant student activity and shared success.

Speech 8: The Strategic Treasurer

“fiscal responsibility, our collective commitment”.

Hello to all! As your candidate for Treasurer, I am aware of the significant responsibility that comes with managing our student council’s finances. It’s not just about keeping books; it’s about strategic planning, transparency, and making every penny count towards improving our school life.

I bring to this position my experience with budgeting and finance, coupled with a deep commitment to serve each one of you. My plan includes introducing a participatory budgeting process where you get to have a say in our financial priorities, regular financial updates to keep everyone informed, and innovative fundraising ideas to boost our resources.

Investing in our collective future means making smart, ethical, and impactful financial decisions. With a keen eye on our goals and a strict adherence to transparency, I will ensure that our council’s financial health is robust and that our resources are aligned with our shared vision.

Speech 9: The Efficient Secretary

“the backbone of our council”.

Dear students, as a hopeful Secretary for our Student Council, I recognize the immense responsibility of being the link between you and the council’s activities. This role is more than just taking minutes; it’s about ensuring that every decision, every event, and every initiative is documented, communicated, and archived effectively.

My vision is to make our council’s workings as transparent and accessible as possible. This means not only meticulous record-keeping but also innovative communication strategies to keep everyone informed and engaged. I plan to utilize digital platforms to disseminate information, organize feedback sessions, and ensure that our council is always accountable to you.

With a commitment to organization and a passion for communication, I am ready to be the reliable backbone of our council, ensuring that as we move forward, every step is recorded, every voice is heard, and every achievement is shared.

Speech 10: The Passionate Committee Leader

“spearheading change, one initiative at a time”.

Greetings, peers! As a candidate for the [Insert Committee Name, e.g., Environmental Committee] leader, I am here not just to lead a committee but to ignite a movement. Whether it’s enhancing our school’s green initiatives, boosting academic resources, or strengthening our sports programs, each committee plays a crucial role in our student council’s mission.

I am passionate about [Committee Focus] and have spent my time at school actively involved in related projects and initiatives. As a leader, I plan to bring this passion to the forefront, driving innovative programs, rallying student support, and ensuring that our activities have a lasting impact.

Your support means empowering a dedicated leader focused on making tangible changes in our school. Together, we can champion causes close to our hearts, bring about meaningful change, and leave a legacy that future students will be proud of.

In crafting your speech, remember the importance of authenticity, clarity, and enthusiasm. Your fellow students are looking for leaders who not only promise but also inspire and enact real change. Use these samples as inspiration, but ensure your personal story and vision shine through. Good luck!

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• Public Speaking

A Guide to Writing School Speeches: Structure, Delivery, & More

Last Updated: September 19, 2023 Fact Checked

• Brainstorming
• Writing & Structure

Sample Speeches

This article was written by Lynn Kirkham and by wikiHow staff writer, Finn Kobler . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,085,091 times.

If you’re running for office in school elections, delivering your candidate speech can be one of the most important parts of the whole process. And you can’t deliver a good speech without writing a good speech. Sure, there are templates online that you can just paste in your name into, but a speech written by you, that represents you, holds a much better chance of making an impact on your classmates/voters. In this article, we’ll walk you through expert advice on crafting a speech that’s clear and concise, as well as some public speaking tips to help you resonate with your audience. The true power of your speech will come from how you personalize it, but consider this a comprehensive blueprint to help you get started. This article is based on an interview with our professional public speaker, Lynn Kirkham, founder of Yes You Can Speak. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

• Begin your speech by stating who you are, the position you’re running for, and a catchy slogan that reminds the audience what you’re working towards.
• Use the middle of your speech to explain your goals, if elected, and give a few specific steps on how you plan to achieve those goals.
• Keep your speech short and sweet; most school election speeches are only about 150-250 words.

Crafting Your Message

• For example, you might begin your brainstorming sesh with goals like “outlaw homework” and “allow skateboarding on campus.” Then, as you condense your ideas, you’ll become more realistic with plans like adding healthy food options at lunch, expanding a tutoring program, or working to reduce bullying.

• Your slogan can be lighthearted (“The Right Manuel for the Job”) or serious (“Your Voice for Change”).
• It can be focused on one specific issue (“Save the Spring Formal”) or aimed more broadly (“Let’s Fly Higher Together”). Most importantly, the slogan should make people think of you when they hear or see it, and give them an idea of how you’ll serve their interests.
• When writing a slogan , avoid negative language. You want to sound confident in yourself, rather than unconfident in your opponents.
• For example, if you’re trying to come up with a treasurer campaign slogan, you might say “A Vote for Maggie Makes Cents” or “Bank on Hank” rather than “Lyle Can’t Be Trusted With Money” or “Vote Hank, Not Celia.”

• A great way to show your qualifications and personalize your speech (without sounding like you’re blowing your own horn) is to tell a story. Talk about what made you want to run for office.
• For example, if you’re looking for FFA (Future Farmers of America) speech ideas, you might write “I’ve been working with animals since I was a kid and it taught me so much about life. I want to inspire other young people to do the same.”

• It can help to write down some key traits you possess and build your speech from there. For example, if you write “hardworking,” you could use your speech to talk about the countless hours of effort you plan to put into this job.
• If you write down “empathetic,” you can talk about how you understand people’s point-of-view and, if you’re elected, you’ll make sure everyone feels listened to.
• It can be difficult knowing how you come across. If you don’t know what your key traits are, ask your friends how they see you. They’ll be positive yet realistic.

• Avoid complicated sentences, jargon, or unnecessary asides. While your skill with language may work well in essays, now is the time to connect with an audience in words they can easily understand.
• As you draft your speech, read each sentence aloud after writing it. If it sounds awkward, clunky, or overly complex, revise it in simpler terms.

Structuring Your Speech

• Something simple like “Hi. I’m Jane Thomas, and I want to be your class president because I am dedicated to Making Butler High Better Together” is a highly effective way to begin.
• Try to tweak your introduction to match your personality. You could say “Some people say that Leon Lawson is too wild and not serious enough to be vice-president. Well, I’m Leon Lawson, and I say that I’m Seriously Wild about shaking things up in Key Club.”

• For instance, you might say “Bullying is an epidemic at Adams High School. Odds are that you have been bullied, seen someone being bullied, or even been a bully yourself. We can all do better.”
• Asking the audience can be a helpful tactic to connect over an issue. You might say “Raise your hand if you’ve been grossed out by the condition of our school bathrooms.”
• When stating the issue, avoid negative comments, or blaming a particular person or group. Instead of “Principal Stevens has done nothing to help with school lunches,” you might say “I hope to work with Principal Stevens to develop a plan so all our students are fed.”

• Be as precise as you can when explaining how you plan on accomplishing your mission. Instead of “I will unite the student body” (which is vague and unrealistic), you might say “I will create an open forum for students that meets every Friday at lunch so we can all share our ideas as a team.”
• Use active verbs to describe what you have done/will do. Some examples include: “pursue,” “follow,” “take up,” “initiate,” “present,” “represent,” “create,” “build,” and “lead.”
• If you’re running for re-election or have held a different office, talk about a few things you have done and a few you will do. Make it clear how they all link together. For example, you might say "As my work as President of Spanish Club shows, I can manage a team of people to achieve common goals. I will use this experience to pursue change in Student Government, too."

• To improve the ethos of your speech, find ways to connect yourself to the position you’re running for. Market yourself by listing your relevant experience and how you’ve prepared. For example, you might say “I’m secretary of 2 other clubs, so I can easily transition to secretary of Bible Club.”
• To improve the pathos of your speech, find moments to show off your personality. Are you goofy, fun-loving, sincere? Let that shine through in your language. You might add a joke or use some vivid adjectives.
• To improve the logos of your speech, make sure your goals are well-connected and realistic. Clearly explain why it’s reasonable for you to achieve each of your plans during your time in office.

• Even if you don’t have a short time limit, people rarely complain that speeches are too short. Don’t waste time on unreasonable promises or unnecessary details.

• For example: “We all know that there are too many cliques and factions that divide us as students here at West Branch High. This Friday, please consider voting for me, Ben Davis, for student council. I’ll make it my number one job to bring all West Branch Eagles together so we can Fly High as One.”

• For example, you might say “I have several additional ideas for ways to bring back Tiger pride to our school. I would love to hear your ideas too after class.”

Rehearsing Your Speech

• If you’re allowed to, practice giving your speech in the location where you’ll actually be presenting it. Get a feel for the room and the podium, so you’ll be that much more comfortable come speech day.

• If you can memorize your speech, great, but you don’t want it to sound like you’re just regurgitating words from a page. Know the speech by heart, so that you can seamlessly adjust to a misstated phrase or an unexpected opportunity to connect with the crowd.

• It can help to meditate before your speech and picture yourself getting a standing ovation (or whatever the best possible scenario is for you).
• Rely on whatever relaxation techniques work for you to get ready for your performance. If that means employing the old trick of imagining the audience naked, go for it — maybe just watch who you tell about having used it!

Delivering Your Speech

• Smiling throughout the entirety of your speech is an easy way to appear warm and confident without much effort.
• If you use hand gestures while you speak, be sure they’re not excessively distracting and keep your use of them limited. Appropriate hand gestures can help you engage your audience.

• You don’t necessarily have to make direct eye contact with any specific person. Just make it clear you’re trying to connect with your audience.

• If you make a mistake while giving your speech, don't panic. Laugh it off and move on. This will show that you are flexible and adaptable, and will encourage others to see you as someone who can meet challenges without losing her cool.

Community Q&A

• If you're very nervous before presenting the speech, try looking just above the heads of the audience or focus on a person that does not make you nervous, like a friend. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• If you don't win, it's okay! Know you gave it your all and tried your hardest. There's tons of other opportunities to showing great leadership. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ https://passport.vec.vic.gov.au/students/vote
• ↑ https://library.centre.edu/POL120Fall2019
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/02/tips-speaking
• ↑ https://finley-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/f/finley-h/localcontent/how_to_write_a_speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/structuring-speech
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/process/reverseoutlines/
• ↑ https://www.lsu.edu/hss/english/files/university_writing_files/item35402.pdf
• ↑ https://pll.harvard.edu/course/rhetoric-art-persuasive-writing-and-public-speaking
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2013/10/the-power-of-restraint-always-leave-them-wanting-more

About This Article

If you need to write a speech for school elections, think about what you would like to accomplish while you’re in office, then narrow that down to 1 or 2 goals. Next, come up with a catchy election slogan. Open your speech by introducing yourself and your message, giving a few details about why you’re the right person for the position. Include your slogan early in the speech, then identify your main goal and outline your clear, realistic plan for accomplishing those goals. End with a strong statement that tells the other students why they should vote for you. Keep reading for tips from our reviewer on delivering your election speech! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Winning Tips for Student Council Speeches

Get more votes and win your election with these essential tips for student council speeches. Then, use the sample speech from Charlie, who followed these practices, to inspire your student council speech. 

• Tips for a Winning Speech
• A Sample Speech by Charlie
• BST Guide to Writing a Student Council Speech

Here are twelve essential tips for writing a student council speech:

• Know Your Audience: Understanding who you're speaking to will help you tailor your message to their needs and interests. Remember that your audience consists of your peers, and your student peers are likely interested in the same things you are.
• Introduce Yourself: Begin your speech by introducing yourself. Tell the other students about your interests and hobbies. This makes you seem relatable and real.
• State Your Intentions: Be clear about why you're running for student council. What motivated you? Was it a desire to bring change or to represent your peers better? Be honest and sincere.
• Present Your Ideas and Plans: Outline your plans if elected. What are your ideas for improving the school or community? Be specific so that your audience knows what you're proposing.
• Be Unique and Authentic: Try to differentiate yourself from other candidates. What unique perspective or experiences do you bring? Be authentic in your speech.
• Use Clear, Concise Language: Avoid using jargon or overly complex words. You want your message to be easily understood.
• Engage With the Audience: Ask rhetorical questions or include interactive segments to make your speech more engaging. You could ask for a show of hands or opinions on a particular issue.
• Show Passion and Enthusiasm: Show your audience that you genuinely care about your role and the issues you discuss. Passion and enthusiasm can be contagious!
• Use Anecdotes and Personal Stories: If you have a personal story or anecdote that illustrates why you're running or what you hope to achieve, share it. Personal stories can make your speech more compelling and relatable.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice your speech, the more confident you'll be when you deliver it. You'll be able to focus on your tone, delivery, and body language rather than worrying about forgetting your lines.
• Have a Clear Structure: Like any good speech, yours should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Open with a powerful introduction to grab the audience's attention, then move into the central part of your speech, where you lay out your plans, and conclude by reiterating why you're the best choice.
• End With a Call to Action: Encourage your audience to vote for you. Be direct and remind them that their vote can help bring about the changes you've proposed.

Remember, being elected to the student council is not just about the speech. It's also about how you conduct yourself before and after the speech, listen to your fellow students, and present yourself as a potential leader.

Charlie's Sample Student Council Speech

Imagine our candidate, Charlie. He walks up to the podium, adjusts the microphone, clears his throat, and begins the following excellent performance among several student council speeches on election day...

"Good afternoon, fellow students. My name is Charlie, and I am running for the position of class secretary.

Some of you may already know me, but for those who don't, let me tell you a bit about myself. I love baseball, and though I may not be the best player on the field, I always show up, giving it my all. I have a dog named Scout and we've been through quite a lot of adventures together. He's even taught me a thing or two about being a good friend and listener.

I’m running for class secretary because I believe in the power of teamwork, just as much as I believe in the power of a solid kick to a football… we’ll just ignore the times when some unexpected surprises have knocked me over! I understand the value of each individual’s contribution to the team, and as your secretary, I’d work diligently to ensure that all your voices are heard and recorded.

If elected, I have several plans to improve our school. First, I want to establish a regular feedback system where you, my fellow students, can voice your concerns, ideas, and suggestions. You know, like a suggestion box, but maybe something more exciting - perhaps a 'Great Idea Garden'? Second, I want to organize inclusive events that celebrate our diversity, where everyone can share their unique traditions and talents. Maybe our history enthusiast could teach us about archaeology, our pianist could play a concert, or our resident philosopher could host a philosophy club meeting.

I don’t have a magic blanket or cool alter ego. What I do have is the commitment to serve, the tenacity to overcome difficulties, and the willingness to listen and understand. I may have a reputation for being a bit of a dreamer, but one thing's for sure - I always try my hardest, and I never give up, no matter how many times I stumble.

To ensure everyone understands what I’m saying, I’ll say it simply: I’m running for class secretary to make our school a better place for all of us, where every voice matters.

Now, how many of you want to be a part of a school where everyone’s ideas are respected and heard? [pauses for response]

See? Together, we can make this happen.

I am Charlie, a simple guy with a big heart and bigger dreams for our school. I may not always kick the football just right, but I guarantee you, I will always work my hardest to kick our school’s spirit and unity into high gear.

So, when it's time to vote, I ask that you consider me, Charlie, for class secretary. Remember, a vote for Charlie is a vote for every single voice in our school to be heard, respected, and included.

Thank you."

[Charlie walks off the stage to a round of applause, feeling a little less like a dreamer and a little more like a potential class secretary.]

Avoid student council speeches like this creative and funny example from @snerixx below. In this sample, the author illustrates how sometimes student council speeches could be more genuine and make promises that can't be kept. 

You might like the BST guide to writing a student council speech and analysis. 

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Student Council Speech

Student council speech generator.

So you feel that you have what it takes to be part of your student council in your school. You got the guts, responsibility, wit, and charm to grab the position you are vying for from other students who are as qualified as you. Even if you are sure of yourself, you need to convince every student in your school that will be an effective officer if you are elected. And one way to convince your fellow students to vote for you is through your speech .

What is Student Council Speech? A student council speech is a presentation given by a student who is running for a position on the student council, which is a group that represents the interests and ideas of the student body at a school. In this speech, the candidate shares their ideas, goals, and plans to improve the school and address student concerns. They aim to persuade their classmates to vote for them by highlighting their leadership qualities, past achievements, and specific proposals for making positive changes within the school community. This speech is an important opportunity for candidates to connect with their peers and show why they are the best choice for the position.

Download Sample Student Council Speech Bundle

When writing a student council speech, you must be able to persuade your schoolmates to trust in your abilities and your platforms. (If you need more tips on writing persuasive speeches , see this one). Remember, you are not running just for popularity votes or to earn yourself a good credential in your achievements. You are running for a certain position (whether you’ll be a president, treasurer, secretary, etc.) to serve the student body, to represent them when they want their needs to be attended to and to make better changes in your school. So first you need to make your speech sound persuasive, but not aggressive. Start writing your speech weeks ahead before you deliver your speech.

Student Council Speech Format

Introduction.

Greet the Audience: Start with a friendly greeting to capture the audience’s attention. Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce yourself, including your name, grade, and any relevant personal background that relates to the position you’re running for.

Statement of Intent

Declare Your Candidacy: Clearly state the position you are running for on the Student Council. Motivation: Share why you decided to run for the student council, focusing on what motivates you and why the role is important to you.

Qualifications

Experience and Skills: Highlight your relevant experiences, skills, and achievements that make you a suitable candidate. This could include previous leadership roles, involvement in school activities, or specific talents that contribute to your ability to serve effectively.

Vision and Goals

Key Issues: Identify key issues or areas for improvement within the school that you plan to address. Proposed Initiatives: Outline your main goals or initiatives that you aim to implement if elected. Be specific about what changes or improvements you want to make and how you plan to achieve them.

Plan of Action

Strategies: Briefly describe the strategies or steps you will take to achieve your goals. This shows that you have thought about how to turn your ideas into action. Collaboration: Emphasize the importance of working together with fellow council members, students, and school staff to accomplish shared objectives.

Reiterate Key Points: Summarize the main reasons why you are the best candidate for the position, focusing on your vision, qualifications, and what sets you apart from other candidates. Call to Action: Encourage your classmates to vote for you, emphasizing the importance of their vote in making a positive change within the school. Thank You: Conclude by thanking the audience for their time and consideration.

Example of Student Council Speech

“Good morning, students and teachers of Springfield High! My name is Jamie Lee, a sophomore, and I’m excited to run for the position of Secretary on our Student Council. Why am I standing here today? Because I believe in change, in improvement, and most importantly, in us—as a student body—to make Springfield High not just a school, but a community where every voice is heard and valued. My experience as class representative last year taught me the importance of organization, communication, and dedication—qualities essential for the role of Secretary. My main goal is to enhance our school’s spirit and involvement through better-organized events, clearer communication between the student council and the student body, and by creating more opportunities for everyone to contribute their ideas and talents. I plan to introduce a monthly feedback session where you can share your thoughts and suggestions directly with the council. But that’s not all. I want to work on making our school events, including dances, fundraisers, and spirit weeks, more memorable and inclusive. How? By working closely with clubs and sports teams to ensure our activities reflect the diverse interests and talents within our school. I’m asking for your vote not just for me, but for the vision of a school where every student feels connected, involved, and proud to be a Springfield Hawk. Let’s make this year one of unity, fun, and achievement. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for considering me as your next Student Council Secretary. Let’s soar high, Hawks!” This example of a student council speech uses a structured approach to convey the candidate’s motivations, qualifications, goals, and plans in a clear and engaging manner, effectively persuading classmates to lend their support.

What is the Best Student Council Speech Example?

Title: Creating Unity, Inspiring Change Good morning, fellow students, teachers, and staff, I stand before you today not as a candidate, but as a passionate advocate for positive change in our school. My name is [Your Name], and I am committed to fostering a sense of unity and bringing about real, impactful change. Imagine a school where every student’s voice is heard, where diversity is celebrated, and where kindness and respect are the foundation of our interactions. This vision drives my candidacy. 1. Unity Through Diversity: I believe in celebrating our differences. Let’s embrace our diverse backgrounds, interests, and talents to create a rich tapestry that makes our school vibrant and unique. 2. Student-Led Initiatives: I propose student-led initiatives that reflect our passions. From cultural awareness events to environmental projects, let’s turn our ideas into actions that benefit our entire community. 3. Mental Health Support: Mental health is a priority. I will work to expand counseling services, create safe spaces for open discussions, and promote stress-relief activities, ensuring every student’s well-being. 4. Interactive Learning: Let’s enhance our learning experience through interactive methods. I will advocate for technology integration, peer-to-peer tutoring, and hands-on projects that make education engaging and enjoyable. 5. Community Engagement: Our school is not just a building; it’s a part of our community. I will initiate partnerships with local organizations, organizing volunteer opportunities and outreach programs to give back and make a difference. In closing, I am not just asking for your votes; I am asking for your trust. Together, let’s build a school where every student feels valued, heard, and supported. Join me in creating a future where unity inspires change. Thank you.

Examples of Speeches for Student Council Representative?

Empowering student voices.

“Hello, everyone, I’m [Your Name], and I’m here to talk about empowering student voices. Our school is not just a place of learning; it’s a community, and in a community, everyone’s voice should be heard. As your student council representative, my mission is to bridge the gap between the student body and the administration. I will establish regular open forums where students can voice their concerns, ideas, and suggestions. These forums will be a platform for change, where we can work together to make our school an even better place. I’ll also implement an online suggestion box for those who may not be comfortable speaking up in person. Every idea counts, and every voice matters. Let’s make our school a place where students play an active role in shaping their own education. I promise to be your dedicated advocate, listening, acting, and ensuring that every student’s voice is heard. Vote for change. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Bridging the Gap

“Dear friends and fellow students, I’m [Your Name], and I’m running to bridge the gap between students and the administration. It’s time to foster a closer relationship that benefits us all. I propose regular meetings with teachers, administrators, and students to discuss school policies and improvements. Our education should be a collaborative effort, with students having a say in decisions that affect us directly. In addition, I’ll work to create an inclusive school culture. Let’s celebrate our diversity through cultural events, and ensure that every student feels welcome and valued. I believe in transparency and open communication. Together, we can make our school experience better for everyone. Vote for a bridge to a brighter future. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Building a Greener School

“Hello, fellow students, Our environment is a priority, and I’m committed to making our school more eco-friendly. As your representative, I’ll initiate ‘Green School’ initiatives. We’ll start with recycling programs and energy-saving projects. I’ll work to establish a school garden, promoting sustainable practices. Let’s reduce waste and show that we care about the future. Your voice matters. Tell me your eco-friendly ideas, and together, we can create a greener, healthier school. Vote for a greener future. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Student Council Speech Samples to Edit & Download

• Student Council Speech for Secretary
• Student Council Speech for 4th Grade
• Student Council Speech for Elementary
• Student Council Speech for 5th Grade
• Student Council Speech for Class Representative
• Student Council Speech for House Captain
• Student Council Speech for 3rd Grade
• Student Council Speech for Treasurer
• Student Council Speech for Vice President
• Student Council Speech for Election

Student Council Speech Examples & Templates

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Funny Student Council Speech

High school student council speech.

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Short Student Council Speech

Short Student Council Secretary Speech

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Sample Student Council Speech Guidelines and Schedule

Speech Example for Student Council

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Student Council President Speech

Junior Class President Speech

Student Council Campaign and Speech

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High School Student Council Speech

How to Write Student Council Speech

This is the most nerve-wracking part of your speech. So this part must be a good, no, great one. If for examples. you’re running for student council president don’t start just by merely introducing your name and telling them you are running for student council. You need to start your speech with a bang! Something that can catch the attention of your audience. Students are usually inattentive during these kinds of speeches so you need them to focus towards you. There are lots of creative ways to make a flashy opening. You can sing, rap, dance, act, do some comedy sketches, or anything that relates to the theme of your speech. However if you do not feel like performing live, you can still do some creative opening. You can use videos, power point presentation, music, or ask your friends to introduce you. You may also see introduction speech .

You can also open your speech by asking a question, whether if it is rhetorical or humorous. Here are some examples:

“So here is this person standing infront of you, asking you to for her. Why should you? You ask.” “If there’s anything you can do something for the school to make it loads better, what will it be?”

You can also add quotes from famous people that correlates with your speech. Make sure you cite your quotes properly. Here are some examples of quotes from well known people that you can cite:

“Leadership is not about the next election. It’s about the next generation.” Simon Sinek “I think leadership is service and there is power in that giving: to help people, to inspire, and motivate them to reach their fullest potential.” Denise Morrison “You need an attitude of service. You’re not just serving yourself. You’re helping others to grow up and grow with them.” David Green

After your awesome introduction, you then proceed to state all about yourself. Describe yourself, the position you are running for and the reason why you are running. Tell your name and your grade in your school. This is important if you go to a school with a big population. Don’t ever skip this part of speech as this will be what the audience should remember when it’s time to vote for you. You may also see thank you speech .

No need to elaborate in this part of speech. A brief 1-2 sentences are enough. Example:

“Hello. My name is John Cheese and I will be running for President! My vision is change for the betterment of our school. I fight for equality for all the students in this institution.”

Next is the part where you will sell yourself by mentioning your qualifications. This is one way to persuade your fellow students that you are responsible enough to be part of the student council. Mention any accomplishments that are related to the position your are running for.

If you’re running for president, don’t list your accomplishments in stamp collecting. The accomplishments that you should cite are your leadership skills, whether you are the team captain of your football team or you’re the major in your drum and lyre corp. You can also mention your honors and awards. You may also see speech templates .

“I am currently the team captain of our baseball team and I have also been a member of the Boy Scouts. Currently, I am the president of our drama club.  I have also been an honor roll student for the past five years. I have been exposed to a lot of leadership training skills and I believe I am most qualified to be an efficient president in the student council.”  

Writing the main point of your speech

Now that you have organize your introduction, it’s time to get to your ideas and how you should present them in front of the student body. This is the part where you will enumerate your platforms on how to improve the system in your school. Make sure that when you have laid out your platforms to the students you made some research. Ask the students, teachers, personnel on what areas that you should be improved.

Listen to what the students are concerned about. What are the changes that the students may want to see? What areas in your school you want to change to keep it running efficiently? You can also research ways on how to deal with school problems. Read books and ask some experts to help you. And find out how you, a member of the student council can address these problems. Once you already knew this, you will know what will be your platforms. A nice opening statement is to state out the causes that are important to you and what are your plans to make it better. You may also see special occasion speech .

“Bullying and discrimination has been more prevalent in this institution for the past year. As a student, I am disappointed that some of my fellow schoolmates has been the forerunners of this ugly way of treating people. And because of this, I would work out to invite speakers to talk about sensitivity in school, open more clubs for students to join, and start a tutorial program to aid students who are having a hard time in their classes.”

Keep in mind that you need to present your ideas briefly but persuasive enough to move your audience. If you need an inspiration, refer to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. His speech was short but full of key points that got his message across to his audience. You may also see self introduction speech .

End it with a memorable conclusion

1. Once you’ve stated your ideas effectively, it’s time for your conclusion. When you get there, go back to mention your plans as a president or a treasurer and relate it to your main points that you’ve mentioned a while ago. You may also see speech examples for students .

“With my experience in leadership training and in my service to my team members, I know I can be a great leader to each of you. I promise to do my best to stop discrimination and bullying and to increase the interest of the students to be more open to each other’s diversities.” 

2. Don’t forget to highlight your qualifications one last time. They key to this is to sincerely state that it is your passion to serve your students. You may also see tribute speech .

“I am a passionate advocate against discrimination. And to change that attitude starts here in our school. I want everyone to be accepting of everyone’s differences. I vision an institution with good relations between students and faculty members. I care about each of you and your right to be treated fairly…”

3. Of course, don’t forget to ask the audience to vote for you. Here is the part where you will beg your students to vote for you. Their vote is important for you to win the election. Ask with genuine humility for the students to vote for you. You may also see informative speech .

“I ask nothing but your votes. I would be deeply honored if you’ll vote for me on the election day.” 

Now that you completed your speech, see to it if it’s good enough for you to use. Ask a friend, a family member, or a teacher to read your speech. Ask them what areas you need to improve. Ask for a constructive criticism, even if it hurts.

It’s important for you to learn to improve your speech and to be open-minded towards critical suggestions. Remember you are running for the student council. Make yourself a best example of a responsible student that your fellow students can look up to. Additionally, debates may come up in before the election day, so make yourself familiarize with debate speeches .

What is a good speech for student council?

A good speech for a student council should be engaging, relatable, and persuasive. It should include:

• Introduction: Begin with a strong hook or personal anecdote to grab the audience’s attention.
• Your Vision: Clearly outline your goals and vision for the student council. Explain how you intend to make positive changes.
• Relevance: Address the specific needs and concerns of your fellow students. Show that you understand their issues and are committed to addressing them.
• Qualifications: Highlight your relevant skills, experience, and qualities that make you a suitable candidate.
• Ideas and Initiatives: Present concrete ideas and initiatives you plan to implement if elected. Be specific and practical in your proposals.
• Inspiration: Motivate your audience with an inspiring message that encourages unity and active participation.
• Closing: End with a strong call to action and a memorable closing statement.

Why do I want to run for student council?

• Leadership: Desire to take on a leadership role and make a positive impact on your school community.
• Advocacy: A commitment to representing and addressing the concerns and needs of fellow students.
• Service: A genuine interest in serving others and contributing to the betterment of your school.
• Initiative: Eagerness to implement positive changes, initiatives, and projects that benefit the student body.
• Voice: A belief in the importance of having a voice in the decision-making processes at your school.
• Personal Growth: Opportunity for personal growth, development of leadership skills, and networking.
• Passion: Passion for specific causes, clubs, or activities at your school and a desire to support them.
• Community Building: A goal to create a sense of community, unity, and school spirit among students.
• Inspiration: Being inspired by previous student council members or leaders who made a positive impact.
• Love for Your School: A deep affection for your school and a desire to contribute to its success and well-being.

What are the Good student council speech ideas?

• Mental Health Awareness: Discuss initiatives to promote mental health and well-being, such as counseling services, stress-reduction activities, or peer support programs.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Address the importance of diversity and inclusion, proposing events, clubs, or awareness campaigns to celebrate differences and foster unity.
• Student Engagement: Highlight the need for more student involvement in decision-making, suggesting forums, surveys, or open discussions for students to voice their concerns.
• Environmental Sustainability: Propose eco-friendly practices, like recycling programs, tree planting, or energy conservation efforts, to make your school more sustainable.
• Bullying Prevention: Talk about strategies to combat bullying and promote kindness and respect within the school community.
• Academic Support: Suggest peer tutoring programs, study groups, or additional resources to help students excel academically.
• Extracurricular Activities: Promote the creation of new clubs, sports, or arts programs to cater to a wider range of interests.
• Community Outreach: Encourage volunteer opportunities, partnerships with local organizations, and community service projects.
• School Safety: Address safety concerns and suggest measures to ensure a safe and welcoming school environment.
• Technology Integration: Propose the use of technology for educational enhancement, including virtual resources and tools for remote learning.
• Student Wellness: Advocate for initiatives like healthy eating options, exercise facilities, or mindfulness practices to support student well-being.
• Peer Mentorship: Discuss the benefits of mentorship programs, where older students can guide and support younger ones.

What are the Topics Included for Student Council Speech?

Student council speeches can cover a wide range of topics, depending on the issues that matter most to your school and peers. Here are some common topics and themes to consider:

• Leadership and Service: Discuss your commitment to serving and leading your fellow students.
• Unity and Inclusivity: Emphasize the importance of fostering an inclusive and welcoming school community.
• Student Voice: Highlight the need for students to have a say in school decisions and policies.
• Academic Excellence: Talk about ways to improve academic support, resources, and educational opportunities.
• Mental Health and Well-being: Address the importance of mental health support and stress reduction.
• Diversity and Cultural Awareness: Celebrate diversity and promote cultural awareness and understanding.
• Environmental Initiatives: Propose eco-friendly projects and sustainability efforts for the school.
• Bullying Prevention: Discuss strategies to combat bullying and create a safer, kinder school environment.
• Community Outreach: Advocate for volunteer opportunities and partnerships with local organizations.
• Technology Integration: Propose using technology for educational enhancement and virtual resources.
• School Safety: Address safety concerns and suggest measures to ensure a safe school environment.
• Peer Mentorship: Talk about the benefits of mentorship programs to support academic and personal growth.
• Student Well-being: Discuss initiatives like healthy eating options, exercise facilities, or mindfulness practices.

What are the Quotes to put in a student council speech?

• Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “In diversity, there is beauty and strength.” – Maya Angelou
• “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
• “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
• “Leadership is not a position or a title; it is action and example.” – Cory Booker
• “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
• “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
• “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
• “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
• “The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are.” – John C. Maxwell

How to start a student council speech?

Begin a student council speech with a compelling and attention-grabbing opening, like a quote, personal anecdote, or thought-provoking question, to engage and captivate your audience from the start.

What is the main idea of student council?

The main idea of a student council is to represent and serve the interests of the student body, fostering leadership, organizing events, and improving the school community.

How do I run a good student council?

To run a good student council, prioritize communication, listen to peers, set clear goals, organize effective events, and collaborate with the school administration to address students’ needs and concerns.

Text prompt

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Write a Student Council Speech on improving school lunches.

Create a Student Council Speech about enhancing school spirit.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Student Council Speech [Topics and Tips]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

• A simple welcome to all interested/hesitating voters is the kick-off when you’re running for representative. This is good: Hello all, Good morning, or afternoon or evening!
• Introduce yourself briefly. I’m … from class …  .Nothing more, nothing less for now. Blend more about you naturally in the flow of the oral presentation.
• Then immediately focus their attention on the main goal you are standing for. Use an understatement everybody will recognize, a sticky situation suitable for improvement. Solutions will be initiated by you in special committees.Sidebar: The student council election speech or student council campaign speech is a short public address about 1 to 2 minutes long presented in front of voters. You can apply this pattern of arrangement also when you write a speech for student council president or secretary. <
• And make a pay-off:  That’s why I’m running for … fill in the position you want to achieve. So, be clear, and take position: I want to become president / vice president / secretary / treasurer. How to work out these student council speech ideas? Well:If it is your first real-life election campaign, use an easy-to-remember oneline message to tell what your thoughts and views are on the position you want.
• in one catchy phrase what your mission statement has been the past years and how you will continue your work;
• The benifits of your plans.
• Now tell your audience what you think are common needs at campus that ought to be fulfilled right away.
• Present the solution, draw the contours of the positive outcomes of the strides you want to take for them. Keep in mind that this is a brief and triggering summary of your objectives, most wanted achievements, plans, views and solutions in relation to to the needs of the voters. Consider them as the most important student council speech ideas you can think of.
• Educational qualifications.
• Outstanding personal qualities.
• Main accomplishments or special activities in high school, college or university.
• And the specific qualifications you can think of related to the position you strive for. E.g. Proven leadership in community volunteering is the right ticket to become president of the representative administrative body.
• Conclude with a remarkable personal invitation: invite all to communicate ideas the coming years. Just like you say: My door is always open. I will be in office to fight for your needs. I am always open to suggestions. Mail me or look me up on Facebook. I am looking forward to meeting you! Encourage the voters to visit your webpage – if you have one – and further inform theirselves as to why they should vote for you.
• Refer to your introduction statement, conclude that you are suitable, just in one teasing slogan. Of course in such a way that they will remember your core student council speech idea.

And: before you jump to other student council speech idea sources, do not forget to sneakpeak in my broader convincing subdivision top left. Look and listen how your competitors are doing. Copy their success parts in your own words, improve them. That is on of my secret bonus hints!

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How to Write a Speech for the Fourth Grade Student Council

Lori furgerson.

Having a speech that gives your fellow classmates a reason to vote for you is important when writing a speech for fourth grade student council. With some research on what fellow students want and some planning, you are on your way to writing a speech that may get you elected to student council. If you find yourself needing to write a speech, following a few simple steps may lead you to success.

Begin your speech by welcoming your fellow classmates. Tell the audience your name, grade and the position you are running for.

Share with the audience the reasons you are running, what you want to accomplish while you are in office and how you will do it. For example, maybe you want to convince the principal and teachers that fourth graders should have more independence lining up outside from recess and coming into the classroom.

Provide the reasons why you will do well in this position. Give information about your personal background. State your educational qualifications, such as if you are on the honor roll. Share what activities you have been involved with in fourth grade.

Conclude your speech by recapping what you said and why you are the candidate that should be in office. End your speech with a catchy, memorable slogan.

About the Author

Lori Furgerson began writing for an educational company in 2005. She was a classroom teacher for 12 years and became a national literacy consultant, traveling the country to work with state departments, school districts and at the school level to improve literacy instruction. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from California State University at Northridge.

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Tips for Writing Better Class Officer Speeches

Table of Contents

To win your class leadership election or get unanimously chosen, you need to talk to your audience and win them to your side.

Writing a memorable class leadership speech can be daunting and challenging. There are many thoughts in your head. You want to make a good first impression on fellow students and show your capability. But it is possible to deliver an effective and impactful address with the right strategies and techniques in mind.

This article shows you how to write a class office speech that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

How to Write a Class Office Speech

A class office speech is an essential part of a student’s journey in gaining leadership and inspiring others .

Knowing how to write a class office speech can be the difference between having a lasting impression on your peers or being forgotten quickly. To ensure that you deliver a speech that has an impact, below are five steps for writing a powerful class office speech. 

1. Introduce Yourself

First, start by introducing yourself and why you want to be a leader. It’s important to explain what sets you apart from other candidates and highlight your skills and qualifications. Don’t forget to include any experience relevant to the role.

Make sure to include why you’re passionate about leading the class and have clear goals in mind that will help develop the school environment. This introduction should capture the audience’s attention; use interesting and captivating language while conveying enthusiasm.

2. Connect With the Audience

Focus on connecting with your audience through stories, facts, and emotion. Showing genuine interest in them and understanding their experiences is key.

Illustrate ideas with examples that they can relate to and make them feel like you are speaking directly to them. Use simple language to explain complex concepts without overwhelming listeners, and keep your sentences concise for easy comprehension. 

3. Show Energy and Enthusiasm

Third, build excitement within your speech. Your content needs to flow naturally and reflect enthusiasm.

Use uplifting phrases such as “I’m excited to work together and achieve our goals!” and generate buzz by building suspense into your address. Additionally, avoid using jargon which may confuse your audience.

4. Express Your Gratitude to Stakeholders

Thank everyone who helped you along your campaign journey-from teachers and friends to family members and voters.

Demonstrate gratitude towards those around you and take the time to recognize volunteers and other leaders in the school community. Also, express appreciation for all students presents and acknowledge their support in choosing you as their leader.

5. Proofread

Like any other written piece, read your speech again to make sure there is no mistake. If you only have one person to read it to, that’s all the more important. While it may sound easy to write a speech, especially with the outline, the speech needs to be practiced over and over again.

Examples of Class Office Speech

Below are some examples of well-written class office speeches generated with the Hey INK tool.

Greetings students, 

I’m sure you all remember me from the student council last year. I am here again today to canvass for your votes to become your class leader. With my extensive experience in problem-solving and organizing school events, I believe I have the best qualities to become your class leader. 

I’ve been active in our school’s community since freshman year, where I gained invaluable knowledge about how to lead with humility and confidence. My time on the student council has provided me with a platform to be heard and amplify other people’s voices. As your class leader, I promise to continue being an advocate for those who feel unheard or discouraged by the current system of representation. 

I also recognize that we need to take tangible steps toward meaningful change. That is why, if chosen as your class leader, I will prioritize formulating policies that are both inclusive and equitable. We should strive to make our school environment more welcoming, safe, and respectful of all backgrounds. This means holding ourselves accountable when necessary and proactively creating measures that ensure fairness across the board. 

In conclusion, I ask you to please consider voting for me as your next class leader. My combination of enthusiasm, practicality, and leadership skills makes me the ideal candidate for this role. With every vote cast for me, you would be investing in making our school a better place for everyone. Thank you for taking the time to hear out my candidacy!

Greetings, everyone. I hope this day finds you all well! My name is [Name], and I’m running for class president. As we look to the future, there are a few things that stand out to me as integral components of our successful path forward. 

I have spent a lot of time considering how best to run and manage our school efficiently and effectively. After much deliberation, I believe it’s essential for us to emphasize developing strong leadership skills and building meaningful connections between students and faculty. 

I plan on leveraging my past experiences in order to bring forth initiatives to ensure an enriching environment for every student. Specifically, I will work to increase student participation in clubs and raise awareness about mental health issues. In addition, I plan to develop strategies to reduce bullying in the classrooms. 

As your class president, I can promise to always try to understand your needs and make decisions with those needs in mind. To me, success is only achieved when each individual has had their voice heard. With that being said, if elected, I will actively listen to the concerns and opinions of fellow classmates before making any important decisions. 

Overall, I am ready to take on the challenge of leading our class together toward a better tomorrow. It would be an honor and privilege to serve as your class president. Thank you for taking the time to hear my thoughts — let’s end this off by working together, so we can reach our full potential!

Greetings everyone! I’m standing here today with a question that needs an answer: who should be the class president? Let me tell you why it should be me. 

I have great experience in this field, having been a student leader for multiple years and serving as treasurer of our class last year. My tenure has allowed me to gain invaluable knowledge about how things work around here and how best we can propel our school forward. I think it’s important for any potential leader to have insight into the structure and dynamics of their position – something I am well-acquainted with. 

I’m also a personable individual, eager to help out my peers whenever they are in need. It is clear that there are certain problems that our school is facing which require immediate attention. Problems like low graduation rates and bullying in the hallways must be solved. I know these issues inside and out, so I can provide solutions that would not only benefit our community but also make tangible change. Plus, I’m committed to making sure everyone feels heard, respected, and valued regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

I believe I have all the necessary qualities to be a successful class president: expertise, empathy, and ambition. That’s why I invite you to join me in this endeavor. Together, we can find a way to create a brighter future for our beloved school. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Final Thoughts

If you are planning on giving a class election speech, you should follow our tips on  how to write a class office speech . The most important tip is to make a good case for your candidacy.

The speech should be enthusiastic, and you should show appropriate amounts of energy . Revising and proofreading your speech is crucial to making it as professional looking as possible.

Be creative when it comes to delivering your speech. Employ various methods of engagement, such as body movements, facial expressions, vocal variations, pauses, and hand gestures.

Vary the speed at which you speak and occasionally pause to emphasize key points in your speech. Doing this creates intrigue throughout your presentation and adds character to the words you say.

With a good speech, you can go into the election feeling confident about your chances of winning the election.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Class Representative Short & Easy Speech for College Election

Good Morning!

My name is …………… and I am from …….. class. Talking about my educational background, I scored 94.2% and 97.8% in my 10th and 12th CBSE Boards respectively. The reasons why I want to become a class representative are many.

Being a CR would enable me to be someone more than a mere helper. I wish to be the one who helps his classmates and gets their issues resolved. I want to bring out the class issues to teachers and to the senior management team and I want to be an asset and useful for this class. Being a CR will give me a platform and a bundle of opportunities and exposure to do so. Moreover, I’m very responsible, easily approachable and a good team player. I always welcome any fruitful suggestions from my teammates or from my classmates. On top of that, I have prior experience holding responsibility for the class as a class monitor throughout my school life. So, I know what it takes to be a CR and what are challenges one has to face by holding this responsibility but I am ready for each and every challenge whatever will come my way.

If I get appointed as the class representative, I will make sure that everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s issues are getting resolved as soon as possible.

Thank you very much

Motivational CR Speech for College Election Headboy Speech Thank You Speech after Winning School Election Vote of Thanks Speech by Class Prefect सीआर के लिए हिंदी भाषण  How to Say Sorry to Girlfriend 

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Funny Student Council Speech Ideas to Help Everyone Relate to You

Give them a speech they'll never forget. These ideas can help you get started with a funny, creative speech perfect for the student council role you want.

Michele is a writer who has been published both locally and internationally.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Megan's contributed both writing and research to a myriad of associations including academic publications, cultural institutions, non-fiction works, and experimental collaborative projects.

When you've got hundreds of kids staring you down, bright lights in your face, and the worst case of jitters the school stage's felt in weeks, take a breath. You can always rely on the funny student council speech you've worked so hard on crafting to perfection to get you through.

So many people can be naturally funny without trying too hard, so if you just relax and let your natural humor shine through in your student council speech, you'll do great. But if you've glued your pinky to the backspace trying to write yours, let us help you with these tips and ideas. 

Funny Student Council Speech Intros for Specific Roles 

When you're running for a student council position, all you've got is your words. So, you need to write a speech that students will remember long after you've graduated. After you've pitched around some  speech ideas for your student council role , it's time to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keys). And what's the best way to get an audience on your side? With laughter, of course. 

• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win
• Tips for a Winning Student Council Speech for Treasurer
• 15 Powerful Attention Getters for Any Type of Speech
• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win

Funny President Speech Intro Example 

The other candidates are going to come up here and tell you all the reasons why you should vote for them. I'm going to give you only one reason why you should vote for me. I've got the face of an angel.

Think about it, every time I ask for your concerns, give a speech, or land an interview in the school paper, you're going to have to look at my face. If you want to make this year and school politics Instagram-worthy, consider just whose face you want to stare at every day, mine or theirs.

Hilarious Vice President Speech Opener

My competitors have come up here and given you a laundry list of reasons why they should be elected VP, so I'll keep things short. I'm the brains behind this operation, and I'll marionette puppet our president better than Ratatouille and his little rat hands ever could. Whatever you want, I'll work those strings to make it happen. 

Silly Secretary Speech Intro

Your student council secretary really needs to love words. I love words so much that I'll only eat Alpha-Bits for breakfast. And what's more, I'll only eat the cereal letters I can use to make a word. So, say there's a "T," "Q," and "R" left in the bowl; I can't bring myself to swallow them.

I love pencils so much that I fail every automatically graded exam because I can't bring myself to damage the pencil by using it. I love writing so much that I've got a physical therapist on speed dial for my carpal tunnel. 

Comical Treasurer Speech Opener

If time is money, we're all going to be very rich after this speech. I'm not sure who's responsible for the exchange rate, but I hope it's a good one. As treasurer, I take money lingo just as seriously as I do sticking to our budget, and unlike Al Capone, I won't bust our operation with faulty books and tax fraud. 

• How to Make Life After High School Worth All the Hard Work

Funny Student Council Speech Intros That'll Win Everyone Over 

One of the biggest tips for writing a speech is to connect with your audience on their level. Your classmates will probably respond well to fun and humor, so give your speech a dose of comedy and break the ice with a funny intro.

• Mr. Smith, our beloved math teacher, told us all that we'd use trigonometry one day. I think he's an awesome teacher and I really want him to be right. So, my entire speech will cover things that are opposite and adjacent to the issues of our school, and that will lead me on a tangent.
• When you hear the words "Student Council," you probably envision a bunch of old, bald, white guys sitting around wearing suits with ties and talking about all the problems students cause in the world. Today, to help me get through my stage fright, I'm asking you to imagine me as one of those guys. Preferably, I hope you picture Will Farrel as Mattel's CEO. 
• Today, I'm here to taco 'bout something serious and I've been trying to figure out how to get your vote. You might think school rules and student privileges are nacho business, but you'd be wrong. I won't try to get jalapeño business or get saucy, and I certainly won't burrito around the bush. If you want this year to feel like a fiesta, vote for me for President. In queso you still haven't figured it out, I'm the best woman for the job.
• Everyone, let's take a moment of silence. [Pause]. Thank you for joining me in that moment of silence for the competition that I'm going to slaughter at the ballot box this week. 
• (Pointing phone at the crowd) [High School Name] STUDENT BODY! Let's make some noise for my lovely competition — they've worked so hard — and give yourselves a round of applause for appointing someone as awesome as me to your student council. (Puts phone away.) So I'd like to thank my mother who, without her, I wouldn't be here today, and my father of course, because there's part of him in here too...(dramatic pause). OH, oh sorry everybody, those were my acceptance speech cards. Let me just pull out the right ones here.

Creative Ways to Sprinkle Some Humor into Your Speech 

Speech starters aren't the only places you can toss in a little funny line or two. There are a ton of ways you can incorporate humor into your student council speech to break the ice, grab everyone's attention, or stand out from the crowd. These are just a few of them: 

Poke a Little Good-Natured Fun at a Staff Member

There's nothing teens find funnier than cleverly making fun of their teachers and principals. Just be sure to only poke fun at the ones you know will take the joke well, and keep it good-natured and lighthearted. 

End an Info-Heavy Section With a Witty One-Liner

As a teen, you know kids have short attention spans (curse you TikTok), so you'll start to lose them after a while. Keep their attention by ending any information-heavy section with a funny one-liner. It's hard to stay snoozing when you're laughing. 

It's totally ok to use jokes in a student council speech, but remember the goal of using jokes and humor is to connect with your peers, so make sure they're things that everyone will actually find funny and not anything that could be hurtful or upsetting.

Don't Rush the Delivery

If you've got a line you just know is going to make everyone laugh, don't pull the wind from its sails by speeding through it. People tend to talk faster the longer they're presenting, so make sure your joke lands by pulling back and easing into the delivery. 

Add Something Funny or Unexpected to a Serious Sentence

If you're listing some of the genuine things you bring to the table for your desired student council position, grab everyone's attention by throwing a funny one on at the end. 

Tell a True Funny Story From Your Childhood

Talking about something funny that really happened to you, especially if it's related to the student council role you want in some way, can be a creative and memorable way to stand out. For example, the lemonade stand disaster you had as a kid might just make you a shoo-in for treasurer. After all, you learned from your mistakes. 

End the Speech With a Joke or Funny Slogan 

You can also use a joke or a funny slogan at the end of your student council speech to help make it memorable. A funny, relatable slogan that helps people remember you could have a positive impact when it comes time to vote. 

• School Jokes for Kids of All Ages

Hook 'Em With Humor for a Winning Speech 

The secret for how to win a high school election isn't stuffing the ballot box or teen comedy movie-ing your way to making the competition drop out. Instead, it's about being memorable and connecting with your peers. A funny opening line or hilarious closing one will not only capture their attention, but it'll have them thinking about you when they step up to that ballot box. 

Where Harris stands on Israel, abortion, climate change, education and the economy

[Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated Harris' proposed 2019 climate plan investment levels. The correct estimate is nearly seven times more than Biden's current proposal.]

Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as the Democratic party’s presidential frontrunner after Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid Sunday.

Most Democrats have backed Harris, who announced her 2024 campaign for president shortly after Biden penned a letter explaining his decision to exit the 2024 race. Depending on who you ask, Harris is viewed as a moderate or a progressive reformer.

A former prosecutor, Harris was elected San Francisco’s district attorney with a “tough on crime” message in 2003 and worked in that role for seven years. She became the state’s attorney general in 2011 and served until 2017, when she was elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

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More: Election 2024 live updates: Endorsements rush in for Harris; Trump attacks begin

Harris launched her own unsuccessful presidential campaign at a rally in her hometown of Oakland, California in 2019. She dropped her bid for the White House and joined President Joe Biden’s ticket in August the following year. In 2021, she was sworn in as vice president.

Decades in the public spotlight and on the public record, here is what we know about where Harris stands on key issues:

Foreign Policy

As Biden’s second-in-command, Harris has largely stood behind his foreign policy positions, but there are signs she could be tougher on Israel over the war in Gaza than the president.

Harris has not given reason to believe she will deviate much from Biden on issues relating to China , for example. She is also unlikely to sway from supporting Ukraine. Harris said earlier this year that Russia has committed “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine over the last two years.

Harris has not directly opposed Biden’s staunch support for Israel, but has expressed sympathy for the more than 38,000 Palestinian lives lost during the conflict. She was one of the first high-profile members of his administration to call for an immediate temporary cease-fire in March. She acknowledged the “immense scale of suffering” in Gaza and said the Israel-Hamas war is a “humanitarian catastrophe” for innocent civilians.

Harris’ support for women’s access to abortions has been a focal point of her tenure as the country’s first female vice president. She embarked on a nationwide Reproductive Freedoms Tour earlier this year to draw attention to attacks on abortion access following the Dobbs decision . She attended her first stop in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade .

Harris proposed federal protections that would limit state abortion restrictions during her first presidential campaign. Under her proposal, states would need to clear laws regulating abortion with the Department of Justice, which would need to confirm they are constitutional before taking effect, she explained in 2019 .

“How dare these elected leaders believe they are in a better position to tell women what they need, to tell women what is in their best interest?” Harris asked during a visit to a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic in March. “We have to be a nation that trusts women.”

Harris has traveled on an Economic Opportunity Tour this summer to defend the Biden administration’s economic policy and attack former President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.

While on tour, she touted legislation passed during Biden’s time in office, including the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act . Harris has tried to emphasize that wage increases have outpaced inflation since the pandemic and made the case that Trump has plans to give more tax cuts to the rich.

“Donald Trump gave tax cuts to billionaires,” she said in a June social media post . “President Joe Biden and I are investing in the middle class and making sure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”

The vice president has made clear that climate change is a key issue a Harris administration would seek to address.

While running for president in 2019, she proposed a climate plan with a $10 trillion price tag — nearly seven times more than the $1.6 trillion Biden has invested in addressing the issue. She also called for a ban on fracking.

As a senator, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal , which called for a dramatic increase in the production of renewable fuels, including wind, solar, and hydropower sources. The 10-year mobilization plan pushed for a transition to energy systems less reliant on generating greenhouse gases, which are the primary contributors to climate change.

Harris has been an advocate inside the Biden administration pushing for the president to forgive student loan debt , which became a staple of his domestic policy agenda.

As a senator, she co-sponsored Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ legislation to make two-year college free for all students and waive tuition for middle-class students attending four-year public universities.

At a Pride Month event last year, she criticized Florida’s 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” law banning educators from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary and middle school classrooms. Shortly after she announced her presidential campaign Sunday, the American Federation of Teachers endorsed Harris.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_

FactChecking Vice President Kamala Harris

By Eugene Kiely

Posted on July 23, 2024 | Clarification on July 25, 2024

In about 48 hours, Vice President Kamala Harris went from No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ticket to the presumptive presidential nominee, after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her. Here, we fact-check some of Harris’ recent speeches — before and after Biden dropped out:

• Harris repeated the claim that former President Donald Trump “intends to cut Social Security and Medicare,” even though he did not attempt to cut either retirement program when he was president, and he has said that he will not cut them in a second term.
• She referred to Project 2025 — a conservative plan for deeply cutting and overhauling the federal government — as Trump’s “extreme Project 2025 agenda.” Trump has disavowed the project, which he described as “seriously extreme.”
• The vice president repeated one of her favorite talking points when she claimed “Donald Trump openly vowed, if reelected, that he will be a dictator on Day 1.” He said he was joking when he said he wouldn’t be a dictator “except for Day 1.”
• Harris left the misleading impression that Trump was to blame for the loss of “tens of thousands” of manufacturing jobs. The U.S. added more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs under Trump — until the economic effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic reversed all those job gains.

A former U.S. senator from California who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Harris seemingly overnight became the Democratic Party’s last chance to stop Trump from regaining the White House.

Biden, who never recovered from a disastrous debate performance in late June, announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection, saying it was in the “best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President.” Shortly after, Biden gave Harris his “full support and endorsement” for president.

The party quickly coalesced around Harris, who announced at a campaign event in Milwaukee on July 23: “I’m told as of this morning that we have earned the support of enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.”

Harris needs 1,968 delegates to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month, and the Associated Press reported that she has the support of more than 3,000 delegates.

Project 2025, Social Security and Medicare

Since Biden dropped out and endorsed her, Harris has delivered two speeches and both times she referred to Project 2025 — a conservative plan for remaking the federal government — as Trump’s plan, even though the former president has disavowed it.

And in both speeches, she cited Project 2025 as evidence that Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, even though the former president has offered no plans to do so.

Harris, Wilmington, Delaware , July 22: He and his extreme Project 2025 will weaken the middle class and bring us backward — please do note that — back to the failed trickle-down policies that gave huge tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and made working families pay the cost; back to policies that put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block; back to policies that treat health care as only a privilege for the wealthy, instead of what we all know it should be, which is a right for every American. Harris, Milwaukee , July 23: But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward. He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously. And can you believe they put that thing in writing? Read it. It’s 900 pages. But here’s the thing. When you read it, you will see Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

As we have said before , Trump says he has no plans to cut Social Security or Medicare.

In his four years as president, Trump did not propose cutting Social Security’s retirement benefits, and his budgets included bipartisan proposals to reduce the growth of Medicare without cutting benefits. (For more, see our February 2020 article “ Competing Claims on Trump’s Budget and Seniors ,” which details how Trump as president proposed cuts to the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs, but not to retirement benefits.)

After leaving office, Trump has pledged not to cut Social Security, most recently on July 20 in his first joint campaign appearance with his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. “We will not cut one penny from Social Security and Medicare,” Trump said in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In January 2023, when House Republicans were discussing ways to cut government spending, Trump  said  in a video: “Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security to help pay for Joe Biden’s reckless spending spree.”

As for Project 2025, Trump described it at his Michigan rally as “seriously extreme.” He added, “I don’t know anything about it. I don’t want to know anything about it.”

Project 2025 lays out “four goals and principles” for Medicare “reform,” but there is nothing in the 900-plus page document that calls for cutting Social Security, which the authors of the project call a “ myth .”

Harris and the Democrats link the project and its agenda to Trump because, as CNN has reported , there are more than 100 people involved in the project who have worked in the Trump administration. Prominent figures such as Mark Meadows , who was Trump’s chief of staff, and Stephen Miller , a top aide who was involved in setting major immigration policy, are associated with conservative groups that advised the project.

Project 2025, which mentions Trump hundreds of times, includes concepts that Trump supports, including — as Harris alluded to — cutting business taxes and rewriting the nation’s health care laws. But it also proposes things that Trump did not do when he was president, such as setting just two individual tax brackets of 15% and 30% (down from seven) and eliminating or transforming entire government agencies.

There is no telling what parts of Project 2025 Trump would implement, if elected. But Project 2025 is not his “agenda” or “plan,” as Harris said.

Trump’s Dictator Remarks

In recent speeches this month, including in Philadelphia on July 13 , Harris repeated a popular talking point that “Donald Trump openly vowed, if reelected, that he will be a dictator on Day 1.”

Harris was referring to a comment that Trump made at a Fox News town hall in December. At the event, Sean Hannity gave Trump the chance to respond to critics who warned that Trump would be a dictator if elected to a second term. “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody,” Hannity said . Trump responded, “Except for Day 1.”

Trump went on to say, “We’re closing the border. And we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

Trump later claimed he was joking with Hannity. In a Feb. 4 interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Trump said: “It was with Sean Hannity, and we were having fun, and I said, ‘I’m going to be a dictator,’ because he asked me, ‘Are you really going to be a dictator?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, I’m going to be a dictator for one day.’ I didn’t say from Day 1.”

Trump repeated his intention to close the border and drill for oil. “That’s all. And then after that, I’m not going to be a dictator,” Trump told Bartiromo, claiming his “dictator” comment was “said in jest.”

Manufacturing Jobs

In a July 18 speech in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Harris left the misleading impression that Trump was to blame for the loss of “tens of thousands” of manufacturing jobs.

“So, Donald Trump tries to claim he brought back American manufacturing,” Harris said. “The fact is, under Donald Trump, America lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.”

The fact is, those jobs were lost during the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of February 2020, the U.S. had added 414,000 manufacturing jobs under Trump, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But then the economic effects of the pandemic took hold. In April 2020 alone, the U.S. lost 1.3 million manufacturing jobs.

Most of those jobs came back. But at the end of Trump’s four years, the U.S. had lost 178,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2017, when he took office.

Under Biden, the rest of the manufacturing jobs returned and then some. Since January 2021, the U.S. has added  762,000 manufacturing jobs .

Clarification, July 25: We have updated this story to clarify that while Trump did not propose cuts to Social Security’s retirement benefits as president, he did propose cutting the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.

Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through  our “Donate” page . If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, 202 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. 

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Making the Most of Guest Speakers 

A little preparation beforehand can help ensure that the experience will be rewarding for students and the speaker.

Many teachers invite guest speakers into their classrooms to augment curriculum or make real-world connections between a topic and the greater community. A lot of time and effort can go into arranging for a guest speaker, so how can educators make the most out of having someone come in to talk to students?

Here are some tips that have worked for me to help maximize the impact of speakers in the classroom.

Cognitive bookends

I’ve written about cognitive bookends as they relate to field trips, and cognitive bookends are also important to keep in mind when you have a speaker coming to your class.

In short, cognitive bookends are the activities, discussions, and assessments that students accomplish before and after a special educational event (be it a field trip or speaker). Cognitive bookends imbue an event with meaning and context. They also help students to better understand and retain pertinent information related to the experience.

Keep in mind that students need to engage with content in some way before the speaker arrives and after the speaker leaves. What relevant undertaking related to the speaker or his or her content can students complete before the individual even enters the room? Similarly, how can students use the information from the speech after the speaker has left? 

Front Loading

Before the speaker arrives, present students with any information they need to better understand the guest and their career or story. Consider asking the speaker to provide a short biography or a link to information about him or her beforehand.

If the speaker is a defense attorney, complete a day’s lesson on the job of a defense attorney. Have students work on some suitable activity, such as watching and commenting on a video of a defense attorney or completing an activity related to a lesson on lawyers. 

Here’s another example of how my colleagues and I have prepared our students for classroom speakers. We invited two public historians to come into our classes to discuss the story of several churches and buildings in our region. Before the speakers visited, we had students create a hypothetical walking tour of the neighborhoods they would be discussing. 

Students drew from websites that presented the history of the buildings and watched a documentary on the churches in our region. The video showcased not only the history of the buildings, but the ways in which these houses of worship served many of the immigrant communities. 

Another important part of the “front loading” is getting students to jot down questions for the speaker before they visit. Having students prepare questions is a great strategy for a number of reasons.

•  It saves any embarrassment for the teacher when the guest asks for questions and the room remains silent.
• It allows students to gather their thoughts.
• It enables teachers to use this opportunity to help guide students toward formulating stronger questions. Treat this activity as a writing exercise by reviewing what makes a strong question, drafting and peer-editing the questions, and reworking the questions for effectiveness (my post on short writing exercises might be of assistance).

Ask students to write three or four well-crafted, grammatically correct questions. If they choose, the teacher can send them to the speaker to prepare him or her ahead of time. These questions, admittedly, will be broader in nature, as the students haven’t yet heard the speaker. 

This might take some direction on the teacher’s part. If the speaker is, say, a scientist talking about local waterways, the teacher can help the students craft questions about pollution, ways to protect rivers and lakes, aquatic life, boating and recreation, etc. Other questions can revolve around the speaker—what inspired them, their education, and any advice they might have for those interested in following a similar career path.

Teachers can have students ask the speaker questions in class, or the teacher can read the question aloud one-by-one according to the needs and capabilities of the students. I have used both methods, but typically I request that students ask their own questions after the speaker has presented. As the students have crafted the questions beforehand, they’re usually less apprehensive, especially if I’ve allowed them the time and guidance to write effective queries.

Another good tip is for the teacher to jot down some questions beforehand, as well. That way, the teacher can start off the question segment with a few of their own. 

It should be noted that asking students to prepare questions on the fly has benefits, too. Doing so can persuade students to pay closer attention to the speaker and helps them with note-taking and listening skills. Consider having students prepare a question or two prior to the speaker visiting class. Then, encourage them to ask questions they might have crafted during the presentation as well. 

Being a good and attentive listener is also a skill, so it’s important to model good behavior. Demonstrate to students appropriate and inappropriate behaviors (including placing one’s head on the table or appearing uninterested).

Post-Speaker Assessments and Activities

The other part of a cognitive bookend is what students do with the information after the speaker has left. Teachers can jot down information while the speaker talks and then create a Kahoot or a more formal assessment that students complete alone or in groups. Think of an activity students can do that touches on something they learned.

In one of my courses, an entrepreneur spoke to the class. He and his family own several businesses, and he asked the students to describe the kinds of businesses and amenities they’d like to see in the community. This lent itself to a post-speech activity in which students brainstormed the needs of our community and how businesses might address those needs.

Preparing a speaker     

Not all speakers are educators. Sometimes a guest speaker might not know the most appropriate and engaging manner to reach the target audience. With this in mind, give presenters some gentle tips, such as encouraging visuals, handouts, small check-for-understanding activities, or just breaks.

Guest speakers can be a great way to enhance a lesson or topic. An individual from the community can shed new insight on a subject or present information in a novel way. Speakers can also demonstrate that the content students are learning has applications outside the classroom.

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• Border Security
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Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two after a campaign event July 23, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP)

'Border czar'? Kamala Harris assigned to tackle immigration's causes, not border security

If your time is short.

In March 2021, President Joe Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with working alongside officials in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to address the issues driving people to leave those countries and come to the United States.

The Biden-Harris administration said it would focus on five key issues: economic insecurity, corruption, human rights, criminal gang violence and gender-based violence.

Border security and management is the Homeland Security secretary’s responsibility.

Vice President Kamala Harris might soon get a new official title: 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. In the meantime, Republicans have revived a title they gave her in 2021: "border czar." 

Claims that President Joe Biden named Harris the "border czar" and that she is responsible for overseeing U.S. border enforcement gained prominence at the Republican National Convention as the party sought to link her to his immigration policy. 

The refrain intensified once Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. It was echoed in ads and by Trump campaign surrogates, including Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance , the Republican vice presidential nominee.

"Here’s Biden appointing Kamala Harris to be his border czar to deal with illegal immigration," a narrator says in a video the Republican National Committee posted on its X account, @GOP. "And here are a record number of illegal immigrants — 10 million and counting — flooding over the border after Harris was put in charge of stopping illegal immigration."

We’ve repeatedly fact-checked claims about the number of people entering the U.S. illegally under Biden. The federal data tracks how many times officials encountered a person trying to cross the southern border, but it doesn’t reflect the number of people let in. And if one person tries to cross the border multiple times, that counts as multiple encounters, even if it’s the same person. 

For this fact-check, we’re focused on the scope of Harris’ border responsibilities. 

"Border Czar Kamala Harris' reversal of President Trump's immigration policies has created an unprecedented and illegal immigration, humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border," Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told PolitiFact in a statement. 

But Biden didn’t put Harris in charge of overseeing border security.

In a meeting with Harris in March 2021 , Biden said Harris would lead U.S. diplomatic efforts and work with officials in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to stem migration to the U.S. Biden said that when he was vice president, he "got a similar assignment" and that the Obama administration secured $700 million to help countries in Central America.

"One of the ways we learned is that if you deal with the problems in country, it benefits everyone. It benefits us, it benefits the people, and it grows the economies there," Biden said then.

Biden asked Harris "to be the chief diplomatic officer with Central American countries" and address the root causes that make people leave their home countries, said Michelle Mittelstadt, communications director for the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. 

Managing the border "has always been" the Homeland Security secretary’s role, Mittelstadt said.

Biden tasked Harris with addressing the root causes influencing people’s decisions to migrate to the United States.

"I’ve asked her … to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border," Biden said in March 2021.

Biden held a similar role as vice president to former President Barack Obama. In a 2015 New York Times opinion piece, Biden said he would work with the Northern Triangle’s leaders on security, anti-corruption and investment efforts in the region.

"Donald Trump’s administration didn’t really sustain this strategy, but what Harris sought to revive in 2021 ran along the same lines," said Adam Isacson, defense oversight director at Washington Office on Latin America, a group advocating for human rights in the Americas. 

Within weeks of Biden’s remarks about Harris’ role, Republicans including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., began calling Harris the " border czar " often in tandem with pointing out she had not yet been to the border.

In April 2021, when a reporter asked Harris whether she would visit the border, she said that her role is addressing the factors that make people leave their home countries, not managing the border.

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"The president has asked (Homeland Security) Secretary (Alejandro) Mayorkas to address what is going on at the border. And he has been working very hard at that, and it’s showing some progress because of his hard work," Harris said at an event . "I have been asked to lead the issue of dealing with root causes in the Northern Triangle, similar to what the then-vice president did many years ago."

Harris said she’d focus on economic struggles, violence, corruption and food insecurity in the countries. 

In June 2021, Harris visited El Paso, Texas, with Mayorkas. They outlined their responsibilities to reporters. Harris said she was addressing "the root causes of migration, predominantly out of Central America," and Mayorkas said, "It is my responsibility as the Secretary of Homeland Security to address the security and management of our border."

But this distinction didn’t stop critics from linking Harris with U.S.-Mexico border security. 

"The administration’s messaging on this in mid-2021 was not as clear as it should have been," Isacson said. "But at no time did Harris or the White House state that her duties included the U.S.-Mexico border, or border security."

Immigration experts said it’s hard to measure Harris’ success in her role, and that a "root causes" approach implies that the results will be seen long term, not immediately.

In July 2021, the administration published a strategy , with Harris writing the lead message, for confronting the factors that drive migration in Central America. The plan focused on economic insecurity, corruption, human rights, criminal gang violence and gender-based violence.

In March 2024, the administration said it secured more than $5.2 billion in private sector investments to the region. However, only about $1 billion has been distributed, the Partnership for Central America, a group working with the administration, reported .

The White House said the investments have generated more than 70,000 new jobs in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, provided job training to 1 million people and expanded digital access to 4.5 million people. 

"Still, her engagement on this issue has been sporadic," Isacson said. "She has not traveled very often to the region or otherwise sought to make ‘root causes in Central America’ a central theme of her vice presidency."

Illegal immigration at the U.S. southern border from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador has dropped since 2021. Encounters with people from other countries, Venezuela, have risen . 

"But it’s hard to prove that U.S. assistance is a central reason" for the Northern Triangle countries’ decline, Isacson said.

The issues pushing people to leave Central American countries "are extremely complex and require deep restructuring of so much in those societies," said Cecilia Menjivar, a sociology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles who specializes on immigration. "So it’s very difficult for one person to change all that, even if it is a powerful person."

Immigration patterns at the U.S.-Mexico border have more to do with conditions in Latin American countries than "any U.S. policy," Mittelstadt said. 

For example, a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has displaced nearly 8 million people since 2014, according to the United Nations. Political, economic and security crises in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Ecuador have also led to more migration from these countries, Mittelstadt said. 

In contrast, immigration encounters with people from El Salvador have dropped in past years, partly because of the country’s crime crackdown .

The Republican National Committee said Biden appointed Harris "to be his border czar to deal with illegal immigration...Harris was put in charge of stopping illegal immigration."

Biden tasked Harris with addressing the root causes that drive migration to the United States. He did not task her with controlling who and how many people enter the southern U.S. border. That's the Homeland Security secretary’s responsibility.

Experts say that seeing the results of addressing root causes driving people out of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras  — violence, economic insecurity and corruption — takes time.

The statement contains an element of truth, but it ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

Our Sources

Truth Social, post , July 22, 2024

The Hill, House Republicans tee up vote condemning Harris as ‘border czar’ , July 23, 2024

C-SPAN, Sen. J.D. Vance campaign rally in Radford, Virginia , July 22, 2024

GOP, post on X , July 21, 2024

PolitiFact, Francis Suarez’s misleading claim about millions of migrants getting free cellphones, plane tickets , July 28, 2024

PolitiFact, There aren’t 20 million to 30 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, as Sen. Marco Rubio claimed , June 11, 2024

The White House, Remarks by President Biden and Vice President Harris in a meeting on immigration , March 24, 2021

PolitiFact, Central America and the root causes of migration to the US , June 7, 2021

The New York Times, Joe Biden: A Plan for Central America , Jan. 29, 2015

The White House, Remarks by Vice President Harris at virtual roundtable of experts on the Northern Triangle , April 14, 2021

The White House, Remarks by Vice President Harris, Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, Chairman Durbin, and Representative Escobar in press gaggle , June 25, 2021

Fox News, Obama-era DHS secretary: 'There's a real problem' when you have 'bipartisan outrage' , July 23, 2024

The White House, FACT SHEET: Strategy to address the root causes of migration in Central America , July 29, 2021

The White House, FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris announces public-private partnership has generated more than $5.2 billion in private sector commitments for Northern Central America , March 25, 2024

Migration Policy Institute, Shifting patterns and policies reshape migration to U.S.-Mexico border in major ways in 2023 , October 2023

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Venezuela crisis explained , April 17, 2024

PolitiFact, Donald Trump fact-check: 2024 RNC speech in Milwaukee full of falsehoods about immigrants, economy , July 19, 2024

CBS News, The facts about Kamala Harris' role on immigration in the Biden administration , July 23, 2024

Email interview, Michelle Mittelstadt, communications director for the Migration Policy Institute, July 22, 2024

Email interview, Adam Isacson, defense oversight director at Washington Office on Latin America, July 22, 2024

Email interview, Henry Ziemer, research associate for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, July 22, 2024

Email interview, Cecilia Menjivar, sociology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, July 22, 2024

Statement, Karoline Leavitt,  Trump campaign national press secretary, July 23, 2024

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

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'Border czar'? Kamala Harris assigned to tackle immigration's causes, not border security

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by Vice President Harris at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National   Convention

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas

10:29 A.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  (Applause.)  Good morning, everyone.  Good morning.  Good morning, AFT.  (Applause.)  Good morning.  Oh, my goodness.  It’s so good to be with everyone.  Please have a seat.  Please have a seat.  If you have a seat, please have a seat.  (Applause.) AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Harris!  Kamala!  Harris!  Kamala!  Harris!       THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It is good to be in the house of labor.  (Laughs.) AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Harris!  Kamala!  Harris!  Kamala!  Harris! 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  My goodness.  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Oh, thank you all.  Thank you so very much.  Thank y- — can we hear it for Brittany, please?  (Applause.) Thank you all.  It’s so wonderful to be back with everyone here.  Thank you.  That means so m- — so, so much more than I can say. Randi, thank you for your friendship — your long-standing friendship.  As we all know, Randi is a force.  And she has been an incredible friend and — and adviser to the president and me.  And I want to thank you on behalf of the president and me and our country for all that you are.  (Applause.)  And I — I want to begin by saying a few words about our president, Joe Biden.  You know — (applause).  Right?  Yeah.  Yeah. So, last night, our president addressed the nation.  And he showed, once again, what true leadership looks like.  (Applause.)  He really did.  His — his words were poignant. You know, I — I’ll speak in a moment about the importance of reminding people of history, teaching America’s true history.  He — he thinks and talks about his work and our country, understanding what it means in terms of what we do now and how that will impact the future.  He thinks about our history in the context of the importance of the work we do now.

And over the past three and a half years, and over his entire career, Joe has led with grace and strength and bold vision and deep compassion.  And as he said — (applause) — that’s right.  And as he said, in the next six months, he will continue to fight for the American people.  And I know we are all deeply, deeply grateful for his continued service to our nation.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  

And to the members of AFT, I thank you for your service to our nation.  (Applause.) From the public service workers and higher education faculty to the school bus drivers — (applause) — and the custodians to the school nurses and our teachers — (applause) — you all do God’s work, educating our children — the whole ecosystem of who are AFT members. It is you who have taken on the most noble of work, which is to concern yourself with the well-being of the children of America.  And I thank you for that.  I thank you for that.  (Applause.)  And I thank you, also, for your support over the years and for being the first union to endorse me this week.  (Applause.) Thank you.  I thank you.  (Applause.)  I thank you. And as you may know, I am a proud product of public education.  (Applause.)  Many of you know that my first grade teacher, Mrs. Frances Wilson, God rest her soul, taught me and educated me and encouraged me and inspired me.  And years later, when I walked across the stage to receive my law school diploma, Mrs. Frances Wilson was in the audience.  (Applause.)  Yeah.  Yeah. 

And that’s who you are.  I know who you are.  I know who you are.  This work is personal and it is professional and it is so critically important.

And so, it is because of Mrs. Wilson and so many teachers like her that I stand before you as vice president of the United States of America — (applause) — and that I am running to be president of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

What I know firsthand is that our teachers and all those who are here, all the members of AFT — I know that, by nature, you are visionaries.  You are focused on the future.  The work you do is about a focus on the future.  You see the potential in every child.  You foster it.  You encourage it.  And in so doing, you shape the future of our nation, which is why I say: We need you so desperately right now. 

Today, we face a choice between two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future and the other focused on the past.  And we are fighting for the future.  (Applause.) 

And in our vision of the future, we see a place where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead — a future where no child has to grow up in poverty, where every senior can retire with dignity, and where every worker has the freedom to join a union.  (Applause.)

We see a future with affordable health care, affordable childcare, and paid leave — not for some, but for all.  (Applause.)

We see a future where every student has the support and the resources they need to thrive and a future where no teacher has to struggle with the burden of student loan debt.  (Applause.) 

So, as an example, our administration has forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans — (applause) — and twice as much for our public servants, including our teachers.  (Applause.) 

Teachers like Tonya Cabeza, who I met recently in Philadelphia.  Tonya was first in her family to go to college.  And she had been, like many, paying off her student loans for 20 years. 

And she told me — she was like, “Look, I — I at many times wondered: Would I have to leave this profession I love to just be able to pay my bills?  But I did it — I didn’t leave because I love what I do and I understand the importance.”  But making decisions, then, about what she could afford in terms of her daily obligations and dealing with these loans.

And after 20 years, she still owed $40,000 in student loans.  And we forgave it all.  (Applause.)

When she learned, she told me — she said when she learned that her loans had been forgiven, she said, “Well, me and my children knew our lives had changed, and we were just dancing.  Dancing.”  (Laughter.)  So, there we go.

But we are clear-eyed: As we work to build a brighter future and to move our nation forward, there are those who are really trying to take us backward. 

And you, I’m sure, have seen their agenda: Project 2025.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Randi, can you believe they put that thing in writing?  (Laughter.)  Nine hundred pages in writing.

So, Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past.  Donald Trump and his extreme allies want to take our nation back to failed trickle-down economic policies —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — back to union busting —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — back to tax breaks for billionaires. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump and his allies want to cut Medicare and Social Security —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — to stop student loan forgiveness for teachers and other public servants.  

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I say to AFT: They even want to eliminate the Department of Education —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and end Head Start —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which, of course, would take away preschool from hundreds of thousands of our children. 

He intends to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and make working families foot the bill. 

And he intends to end the Affordable Care Act.  Now, think about that — to take us back to a time when insurance companies had the power to deny people with preexisting conditions.  Remember what that was like?  Children with asthma, women who survived breast cancer, grandparents with diabetes.

You know, America has tried these failed economic policies before.  But we are not going back.  We are not going back.  (Applause.) 

No, we will move forward.  And one of the best ways to keep our nation moving forward is to give workers a voice: to protect the freedom to organize — (applause); to defend the freedom to collectively bargain — (applause); to end union busting.  (Applause.)

As head of the White House Labor Task Force, I have led our work to eliminate barriers to organizing in both public and private sectors, including for teachers.  But there is more that we must do. 

President Joe Biden and I promised to sign the PRO Act into law, and I promise you I will keep that promise.  (Applause.)  Because when workers join together and demand what is fair, everyone is better off. 

Understand — and I — I say this everywhere I go — understand: You may not be in a union member, but you should thank unions — and I’m looking to the cameras in the back of the room — (laughter) — not them, but the people who might be watching.  You may not be a union member, but thank unions for the five-day workweek — (applause); for the eight-hour workday.    Thank unions for sick leave and paid family leave and vacation time.  (Applause.)

Because the fact is unions helped build America’s middle class.  (Applause.)  And when unions are strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

So, AFT, ours is a fight for the future.  And ours is a fight for freedom. 

In this moment, across our nation, we witness a full-on attack on hard-won, hard-fought freedoms. 

While you teach students about democracy and representative government, extremists attack the sacred freedom to vote. 

While you try to create safe and welcoming places where our children can learn, extremists attack our freedom to live safe from gun violence.  They have the nerve to tell teachers to strap on a gun in the classroom — 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — while they refuse to pass commonsense gun safety laws.  (Applause.)

And while you to teach students about our nation’s past, these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history — (applause) — including book bans.  Book bans in this year of our Lord 2024. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You tell them, President Harris!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on these last two issues — on these a- — last two issues, just think about it.  So, we want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Can you imagine?

All the while, these extremists also attack the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride.  (Applause.)  They pass so-called “Don’t Say Gay” laws. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Now, I have to tell you, so many of you may know, in 2004, on Valentine’s Day weekend, I was one of the first elected officials in the country to perform same-sex marriages.  (Applause.) 

So, here’s the thing: It pains me so to think 20 years later that there are some young teachers in their 20s who are afraid to put up a photograph of themselves and their partner for fear they could lose their job. 

And what is their job?  The most noble of work, teaching other people’s children.  And God knows we don’t pay you enough as it is.  (Applause.)  

In this moment, we are in a fight for our most fundamental freedoms.  And to this room of leaders, I say: Bring it on.  (Applause.)  Bring it on.  Bring it on. 

AUDIENCE:  Bring it on!  Bring it on!  Bring it on!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Bring it on.  That’s right. 

Because here is the thing.  Here is the thing.  Here is the thing.  We believe in our country, we believe in its promise of freedom, and the American people believe in the promise of freedom.  So, we are in the fight. 

We who believe in the freedom to vote will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.  (Applause.)  

We who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence will pass an assault weapons ban.  (Applause.)

We who believe that every American should be free from bigotry and hate will fight to protect our teachers and our students from discrimination — (applause) — and make sure every student can learn America’s history.  (Applause.) 

And we who believe in reproductive freedom will restore the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not to have her government telling her what to do.  (Applause.)

So, AFT —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Bring it on!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.  Bring it on.  (Laughs.)

So, ultimately, in this moment, I know we all know, we each in our country face a question.  That question being: What kind of country do we want to live in — a country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?

The beauty of our democracy is that we each have the power to answer that question when we vote.  And when we vote, we make our voices heard.  (Applause.)  

So, today I ask you, AFT: Are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.) 

And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win. 

God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)  God bless you. 

END                10:50 A.M. CDT

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