Open Mic has only a few rules: students choose their own topic and speak on stage for three minutes, with no script, no scoring, and the freedom to stop at any time. This setup is deliberate. Only when judgment is removed will some children speak up for the first time. It is a member activity on a rolling schedule.
How an Open Mic Session Runs
Students choose the topic they want to speak about a few days in advance and prepare, but they do not write a word-for-word script. On the day, they go on stage in the order they signed up. They step down once they have spoken for three minutes or have finished, and stopping partway is also fine. There are no judges, no scores, and no rankings. The audience is only peers and parents. After each talk, the host asks one or two questions so the speaker can add more.
What Students Talk About at Open Mic
Students choose their own topics: something they noticed on a trip, their view of a school rule, an unusual hobby, or a book they read recently. The program also encourages students to join discussions about local community development and offer suggestions, moving from personal experience to public affairs. Talks of this kind require research and a considered position during preparation, so students gain more from them than from simply sharing an experience.
How Open Mic Differs from TED Speaker
Open Mic addresses whether a student dares to speak. The bar is low, mistakes are expected, and each talk is three minutes with no judgment. TED Speaker addresses whether a student speaks well. It requires research, argument, story structure, and stage delivery, with a finished talk of 6 to 8 minutes in front of a real audience. Most students first speak at Open Mic a few times to get used to being on stage, then move on to full training for a TED-style talk.
Who Open Mic Is For
G6 to G12. Students who get nervous on stage or avoid speaking up in class are the ones who should come most. The pressure in this setting is deliberately kept to a minimum, and failing costs nothing. Students who need systematic training in speaking fundamentals can take Speech & Debate Intro at the same time or join the Voicemakers Club.
Open Mic and Future Skills Membership
Open Mic is for Life Lab members. Every step is logged in the Human Skills record kept with our partner nonprofit, Project Next Foundation (PNF), and in high school points toward a formal Congressional Award application (age 13.5+).
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Contact a course advisorOpen Mic: Frequently Asked Questions
My child gets nervous on stage. Is this high pressure?
The rules are designed to take the pressure off: the student picks the topic, speaks for three minutes, works without a script, receives no grade, and may stop at any time. Nobody has to arrive with a finished speech.
What do Irvine students talk about?
Students choose and prepare their own topic, and they may also raise discussion and suggestions about how the Irvine community develops. A topic like that requires reading up and forming a view before going on stage.
How is this different from TED Speaker?
Open Mic has no script, no grading, and an exit at any time; the point is getting comfortable speaking. TED Speaker asks for research, argument, story, and stage presence in a 6 to 8 minute talk before a live audience. Many students do one, then the other.
Which grades can join?
G6 through G12. The program is for Life Lab members only and runs on a rolling schedule, so a member can take the stage more than once in a school year.
Are the sessions held in person in Irvine?
Yes. Open Mic runs as an in-person session in Irvine, with only peers and parents in the room, no judges and no rankings. Every appearance is logged in the Human Skills record kept with our partner nonprofit, Project Next Foundation (PNF), and members receive a growth report. In high school the record points toward a formal Congressional Award application, which requires the student to be at least 13.5 years old.
