Speaker Academy is now accepting applications…
Our Admissions Process can meet your learning needs!

Welcome to the Academy

• Do you want to make a difference in your life?
• Do you want to impact others?
• Do you want to become a speaking professional?

If you answered YES to these questions, the NSA-DC Speaker Academy is for you! This program was designed to offer aspiring speakers a set of skills and strategies which are needed to become successful professional speakers. Our participants are professionals who desire to earn all or a significant portion of their income through speaking, coaching and/or consulting.

The curriculum comprises ten modules developed by the most successful NSA professional members from across the country. We augment content by having a topic expert deliver each module live.

Successful public speakers have mastered four key areas:

• Expertise (message and content)

• Eloquence (stage presence and skills)

• Enterprise (infrastructure to get booked and paid)

• Ethics (handling self and business professionally)

Click here for more information

The 10 modules are:

1. Introduction

2. Professional Awareness

3. Topic Development

4. Platform Mechanics

5. Presenting and Performing

6. Authorship & Product Development

7. Sales and Marketing

8. Managing the Business

9. Professional Relationships

10.Speaking Skills, putting it all together 

Click here for Synopsis of Content 

The modules are downloaded in workbook form by candidates from the NSA-DC Speaker Academy DropBox. The content of each session combines the respective module content with presentations from professional NSA Members who have been chosen for their related expertise. Speaker Academy Participants are also strongly encouraged to attend, at their own expense, at least one of the three or more NSA national level meetings.

Benefits

1.      A 10 module downloadable workbook program

2.      Speaker Academy Deans to guide the learning experience

3.      Professional development sessions presented by a highly experienced speaker

4.      A Speaker Academy Facebook group to share ideas, questions, and concerns with fellow SA participants and the SA Deans 

5.      Spotlight Speech (presented to a live and supportive audience and with written feedback from judges and audience)

6.      An assigned professional NSA Member as mentor to give you guidance to further your progress

7. An assigned accountability partner from within your cohort

8.     Free attendance to the 10 monthly Chapter meetings

9.     The award of a Speaker Academy Graduation Diploma

9.    After graduation, Speaker Academy Participants are allowed to attend all NSA-DC professional development meetings at a reduced registration rate for up to 12 months

Speaker Academy is a process intended to help participants attain full professional member status in NSA and launch a viable speaking business within a two-year period.

Speaker Academy Application

Fillable PDF Application

Graduation Requirements

Speaker Academy Participants will be supported and expected to achieve the following objectives:

1.      Develop a website promoting their speaking career

2.      Identify and outline their key topic area

3.      Describe their ideal client and how they plan to deliver value to them

4.      Deliver a five-minute Spotlight Speech to the NSA-DC membership

5.      Complete the prescribed homework

6.      Outline a Business Development Plan

7.      Demonstrate positive relationship building skills

Payment

Tuition for the Speaker Academy is $2,050. To apply, please complete the Speaker Academy Application and submit with a non-refundable $550 deposit. Please note that the deposit does not ensure acceptance into the program. The deposit is non-refundable after acceptance into the program and upon attendance of the first meeting. Once accepted, the Speaker Academy candidate can then pay off the balance of $1,500 prior to the first month deadline, or pay in four equal installments of $550 ($550 deposit, $550 by the first meeting, $550 in each of the following months). After initial deposit of $550, there is a $150 administrative fee if electing to make installment payments, instead of paying off the balance of $1,500 prior to the first month deadline.A Flexible Admissions Policy allows you to join the class at your convenience with a new cohort of candidates. Group interaction is an important part of our program. We are fortunate to work with members and sponsors that often donate their services. These offerings vary from year to year based on the participant's requests and the availability of our sponsors and members. 

Schedule and Location

Speaker Academy Sessions are conducted after eight of the Saturday morning Chapter meetings (these meetings are held the second Saturday of each month with the exception of February and July). Our schedule is developed to encourage participation in periodic afternoon learning labs sponsored by the Chapter. The Speaker Academy Sessions begin at Noon with a working lunch (at the participant’s expense) and last up to 3 ½ hours. These sessions are all highly interactive with the Dean, the Guest Speaker and the Speaker Academy Participants. There is ample opportunity for participants to bring up specific challenges and questions they have. The program is enhanced with Zoom and possible live sessions during which candidates will work on website, one-sheet, and other speaker tools.

One’s success correlates with one’s effort. Homework and class preparation are a significant part of realizing a successful speaking career.

Silver Spring Civic Center
1 Veterans Pl
Silver Spring, MD 20910

GPS device address: 8525 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Click here for driving directions

Speaker Academy Leadership

Darlene Carver merlin@fred.net  (301) 831-9151	Myla DeLoatch, CSP myla@myladeloatch.com (240) 460-1483	Lewis Flax  lewis@flaxassociates.com