Public Speaking Instructor - Summer 2026

Education Unlimited; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 64,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Education Unlimited is seeking a Public Speaking Instructor for its on-campus summer programs. You will guide students through the Public Speaking curriculum, teach rotating classes in delivery and debate, and lead an elective in the afternoons or evenings.

Instructors mentor students, provide individualized feedback, track progress, and assist with supervision and camp operations. A strong outreach to safety and student well-being is expected.

Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience teaching or mentoring students.
• 2+ years’ experience teaching public speaking and/or debate.
• Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree preferred.
• Passion for helping students improve their public speaking and debate skills.
• High level of professionalism and positive attitude.
• Self-motivation and follow-through.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adjust to different learning styles and adapt lessons as needed.

Responsibilities

• Teach rotating classes in delivery and/or debate.
• Teach an elective (examples include Impromptu Speaking, Negotiations, Policy Debate, and Storytelling).
• Provide one-on-one feedback sessions with students.
• Track student work and submit deliverables to the camp director and EU home office.

Skills

Public speaking

Debate

Communication

Organization

Professionalism

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Education Unlimited® provides academic summer camps & pre-college summer programs for students entering grades 4-12. Our summer programs include public speaking camps, college admissions prep programs, science camps, summer acting camp, writing camps, computer camp, leadership camp, video production camp, and college tours.

OPEN POSITION:

Available Public Speaking Sessions

Housing, meals and compensation of $1410 - $1610 per week - possible travel stipend

Course Description:

Education Unlimited is the national leader in providing noncompetitive public speaking summer programs for kids and teens. Education Unlimited was founded in 1993 by a group of speech and debate coaches who developed our innovative curriculum. Today, our curriculum directors and on-site faculty and staff include coaches at some of the nation’s premier high schools and universities and former speech, debate, and mock trial competitors who reached national levels of success.

Too many young people have something to say but do not have the tools to speak in public effectively and with comfort. Designed to help students build confidence in their public speaking skills, ourPublic Speaking Institutetrains students in public speaking, logic,and rhetoric through an interactive and dynamic curriculum that encourages incremental progress through ongoing practice and exercise.

Over the course of the program, students will participate in three main courses: Debate, Persuasive Speaking, and an elective.

Debate

Learn the art of verbal combat! Students will learn how to construct persuasive positions, defend against and attack each other’s arguments, and cross-examine effectively. Students will debate a variety of age- and experience-appropriate topics, form teams, and pit themselves against their co-campers. Past debate topics have included: climate change, U.S. military adventures, and the legal drinking age.

Persuasive Speaking

This useful activity teaches students to craft and deliver convincing speeches. Students start by performing a number of pre-written speeches in order to learn delivery, timing, and intonation. When students display comfort with delivery, they will begin to construct speeches based on their interests. Students learn to choose topics, establish captivating introductions, organize speech content, and deliver compelling conclusions! The focus is on speaking in a natural voice, with few or no notes, rather than writing an essay and merely reading it out loud, the form of “public speaking” taught by most teachers. All students end the week by presenting a speech in front of a large group of fellow campers.

Electives (on-campus programs only)

In the evenings, students will participate in elective courses that will allow them to apply the lessons they learned during their morning and afternoon classes in fun simulations through negotiation exercises, mock trials, mock congress, etc.

Public Speaking Institute students experience university life during their week on a college campus. Students live together in the dormitories, experience campus dining, and relax on campus with a wide array of sports and arts activities. Additionally, the camp will take one mid-week excursion to a local attraction, such as an amusement park or sports venue. The most recurrent comment made by students after camp is, “ I never knew I would have so much fun!”

Job Description:

The Public Speaking Instructor will guide students through the Education Unlimited Public Speaking curriculum to help them become more clear, confident, and effective speakers, and to help them enjoy public speaking activities. Instructors will teach rotating classes in delivery and/or debate, on-campus instructors will also teach an elective (examples includeImpromptu Speaking, Negotiations, Policy Debate, and Storytelling)in the afternoons or evenings.

In addition to teaching, instructors will be responsible for assisting students as needed in one-on-one feedback sessions, and leading students in a showcase at the end of camp.Instructors will also be responsible for tracking student work and handing in any deliverables to the camp director and EU home office.

In addition to teaching responsibilities, on-campus instructors should be available and willing to assist the camp director with active supervision, recreational activities, and some administrative tasks. Instructors should be mature, reliable, and able to work well with fellow staffers. Instructors are also expected to act as mentors and will help lead field trips and guide students on excursions. With the support of the entire staff, instructors are responsible for the health and safety of students, in addition to fulfilling instructional objectives.

Qualifications:

Instructors have a strong competitive speech and debate background, are studying communications at the graduate school level, or have significant experience teaching and mentoring studentsin public speaking.

• 2+ years’ experience working with middle, high school or university students in an instructional setting.
• 2+ years’ experience teaching public speaking and/or debate at any level or significant competitive experience.
• Bachelor’s degree is required; preference is given to those with an advanced degree.
• A passion for helping students improve their public speaking and debate skills
• High level of professionalism and positive attitude.
• Self-motivation and follow-through.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adjust to different learning styles and adapt lessons as needed.