FIND YOUR VOICE
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING
CAN BE FOUND RIGHT HERE IN WEST COUNTY
HHoning oral communication skills is a lifelong process. If
by Matt Larson
public speaking, job interviews, business presentations, etc.,
are skills you’ve struggled with in the past, as the saying
goes: practice makes perfect.
The Practice Space in El Cerrito provides communication
training and techniques for people of any age in a
supportive environment. “One thing about public speaking,
storytelling, and anything spoken, really, is that it takes a
lot of courage,” said Executive Director AnnMarie Baines.
“The Practice Space is a safe, nonjudgmental place where
people can really build confidence and find their voice.”
Most of their programs are focused on middle- and
high school-aged students, with 40% of their clientele
being comprised of either college students or working
professionals.
Teachers, district leaders, philanthropists, executives, you
name it, most every professional background out there can
benefit from these services. “I also have a category of folks
who are beginning entrepreneurs,” Baines added. “It’s really
hard to describe your new business sometimes, so I help
them with speech writing, and being able to feel confident
talking about their ideas.”
It all started in 2001 when Baines was a volunteer speech
and debate coach at her alma mater, El Cerrito High
School. She began setting up informal practice times at her
house, eventually adults joined the process as well, and it
grew and grew until it was time to go public.
“The big thing that I was driven by is just making
sure that we can support those voices that are
underrepresented,” Baines explained. “I wanted to expand
it beyond high school, to reach other communities where
people feel like their voice isn’t heard … 75% of our
programs are with women and girls; they have so much to
say but a very common thing that we have to get through
is feeling like you’re enough.”
Having served about 380 students so far across three school
districts, in addition to organizational workshops and
private trainings spanning from San Jose to Davis (though
most of Baines’ work is done in West County) there are
countless success stories already.
This is one example of an adult student of The Practice
Space who is working in blockchain technology: “She had
been so nervous doing any kind of speaking that she really
held herself back in her career,” Baines shared. “Now, she
not only seeks out public speaking opportunities, but she’s