The Challenge: AmeriCorps Virginia serves thousands of clients throughout the Commonwealth, meeting critical community needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. These front-line employees both deliver specific client services and interact with the public daily. AmeriCorps members number one request for training was public speaking. AmeriCorps Virginia, through the Virginia Department of Social Services, sought a skilled communicator to develop and deliver a one-day training class for their workers.
The Solution: Paula Otto created a day-long training course that blended theory and practice, taking participants through a number of exercises to build their skills and confidence.
The Result: Seventy-five AmeriCorps workers and volunteers were trained and were able to immediately use their new skills in both delivering their mission to clients and sustaining the AmeriCorps work through recruiting.
The Reaction: “Paula immediately created a friendly and energetic atmosphere. It helped calm my nerves for what I thought would be a stressful training class.” - AmeriCorps Virginia participant "Paula created and delivered an engaging curriculum for our members. Her one-day public speaking workshop received stellar feedback from participants. They all left excited and motivated to put their new skills to use in their field work and in their future professional roles." - Gail Doyle, Program Manager, AmeriCorps Virginia
