At the end of the month, 18 high school students from Brașov, Brăila, Buzău, and Mizil—together with their teachers—gathered for the regional round of the “Let’s Talk About YOU(th)” public speaking competition. The participants had all earned top places in local contests held earlier this year, bringing with them fresh ideas and the determination to make a difference in their communities.
The event agenda combined ice-breaker activities, a media literacy workshop on disinformation and social networks led by Mădălina Voinea (analyst, Expert Forum), and the highlight of the day: the public speaking competition. Student speeches were evaluated by a jury consisting of Mădălina Voinea, Antonia Pâslariu (ArtFusion Association), and Tomina Vodarici (ING).
On stage, young participants addressed pressing issues affecting their generation and local communities, including street harassment, mental health, addiction prevention, and creating healthier school environments. In the closing discussions, organizers guided the students in exploring how their proposed solutions could be transformed into concrete initiatives with real impact back home.
Let’s Talk About YOU(th) is a platform developed by Expert Forum that encourages students to strengthen their public speaking skills while also learning what it means to be active citizens. By speaking out on issues that matter, young people gain both the confidence and the tools to help shape the realities around them.
