CY 101: Stand and Declare

Often in City Year, we find ourselves in large groups listening to a presentation or participating in a large scale discussion. “Stand and Declare” is a power tool designed to foster effective, courteous, and thoughtful communication and to strengthen community among the corps.

The idea behind “Stand and Declare” is that whenever we are in a medium to large group, the person who is speaking, whether to ask for clarification or to comment, will stand, state his or her name and team, then state his or her question or comment.

Standing allows for more eye contact, for the rest of the audience and the presenter to know who is speaking, and for greater voice projection so that the audience can hear the speaker. Being made to stand before you speak will also encourage the audience to be thoughtful in their responses, because they are literally, and figuratively, standing by their words.

Finally, “Stand and Declare” allows for people to familiarize themselves with one another in a large group, creating a greater sense of community than hearing anonymous speakers’ reactions.