Public speaking
Learning to organize ideas and communicate them clearly before others.
YCL · Youth Called to Lead
Leadership Academy
Your child has a voice.
Let’s teach them how to use it.
Think clearly. Speak confidently. Lead courageously.
YCL Founding Cohort · Beginning January 2027
Boys & Girls Ages 5–13
Saturdays 12–4 PM The Ion, Houston
$399/month
Parent interest only. Full enrollment and payment are not active yet.
For families
Enroll a young leader
Express interest in the Saturday academy at $399/month.
Start here ↗For families seeking supportApply for a sponsored seat
A private, respectful application for one of five additional sponsored seats.
Apply ↗For individuals and partnersSponsor a young leader
Help fund access for another child through the YCL scholarship initiative.
Explore sponsorship ↗The next generation
Public speaking and leadership classes for kids in Houston.
Women Called to Lead believes leadership doesn’t begin with a title. It begins when someone discovers that their voice matters.
Through Youth Called to Lead Leadership Academy, that mission extends to the next generation. YCL helps boys and girls develop communication and leadership presence through practical, age-appropriate experiences.
Operated by NRG Group. MODR Realty is the founding community sponsor, providing in-kind access to training space through its existing tenant access at The Ion.
The core experience
Think clearly.
Speak confidently.
Lead courageously.
Each Saturday begins with an age-appropriate speaking challenge. Young leaders use guided mind maps to shape ideas, practice, present to peers, and reflect on their growth. When parents give permission, a presentation may be recorded for family feedback and progress tracking.
01Think↗
02Organize↗
03Speak↗
04Lead↗
What your child will develop
Practice that becomes presence.
Confidence
Developing greater comfort expressing ideas and standing before a group.
Leadership communication
Learning how leaders listen, communicate, and encourage.
Critical thinking
Taking a topic, developing ideas, and organizing a point of view.
Presentation skills
Age-appropriate practice with voice, eye contact, posture, preparation, and audience awareness.
A portfolio of progress
With parental permission, recorded presentations can help families see growth over time.
A Saturday at YCL
Every voice gets room to grow.
This is a sample schedule. Activities may change based on age group, lesson, and program needs.
Welcome + leadership warm-up
Connect and join a confidence-building communication activity.
This week’s speaking challenge
Explore an engaging, age-appropriate topic.
Mind map + build
Organize ideas with a guided YCL speaking template.
Practice + coaching
Rehearse with age-appropriate guidance and encouragement.
Snack + social break
Take a supervised break.
The YCL stage
Present to peers; recording occurs only with parental permission.
Leadership reflection
Identify a strength and one skill to practice next.
Dismissal / authorized pickup
Close the day with the approved pickup process.
Age-appropriate learning
One academy. Different stages of voice.
A five-year-old and a thirteen-year-old are not expected to speak at the same level. These are instructional groupings within the academy.
Emerging voices
Short speaking activities, storytelling, expression, listening, confidence, and simple idea organization.
Growing voices
Structured speaking, mind mapping, storytelling, presentation fundamentals, and leadership communication.
Leading voices
Longer presentations, persuasive communication, speech organization, leadership presence, and age-appropriate critical thinking.
Why public speaking?
Beyond the stage.
Communication helps children participate in the world around them.
As they practice, children can learn to express ideas, ask questions, participate in class, advocate appropriately for themselves, work with teams, listen to others, present projects, and develop leadership presence.
YCL Leadership Portfolio
Watch their voice grow.
We want families to see development, not simply hear that their child attended another activity. With appropriate parental permission, families can see progress over time through recorded presentations, speaking challenges, YCL Speech Maps, leadership reflections, instructor observations, and celebration moments.
01 / Practice02 / Present03 / Reflect04 / Grow
A future private parent portal will keep family access separate from adult WCL membership. Children’s recordings and private information stay outside the adult WCL community.
Questions from Houston families
A purposeful Saturday activity for your child.
Who is the academy for?
Boys and girls ages 5–13 who want to develop their voice, whether they are hesitant to speak or already enjoy presenting. Activities are grouped by age and stage.
Where and when do classes meet?
The planned Saturday academy meets from 12–4 PM at The Ion in Houston. The founding cohort is planned for January 2027, with the final launch date to be confirmed.
What will children practice?
Storytelling, organizing ideas, public speaking, listening, presentation skills, and leadership communication through guided practice and peer presentations.
How much does it cost?
Tuition is $399 per month. Families may express interest now; enrollment and payment are not yet open. A separate sponsored-seat application is available.
Can family groups explore a partnership?
Parent networks and youth-serving community groups can express partnership interest in speaking challenges, showcases, or sponsorship. Use the community partnership form below to start a conversation.
How do we get started?
Join the parent interest list. The YCL team will follow up about the confirmed launch date, program details, and secure enrollment steps.
Join the parent interest listParent trust
Structured with care.
YCL is building procedures around enrollment, emergency contacts, authorized pickup, health and allergy information, adult screening, attendance, student conduct, media permissions, emergency response, and parent communication.
Program details and final safety information will be provided to enrolled families.
YCL Leadership Academy
$399 / monthFounding Cohort · January 2027
Saturday Academy · 12 PM–4 PM
The Ion · Houston, Texas
Ages 5–13 · Boys & girls
- Public speaking and leadership communication
- Weekly speaking challenges
- Guided mind-mapping activities
- Presentation practice and peer speaking
- Progress development
Limited founding cohort
Be among the first young leaders called to lead.
The limited YCL Founding Cohort begins in January 2027. Our working launch date is Saturday, January 9, 2027, subject to final confirmation. We are beginning intentionally to establish a strong, structured academy experience.
Join the founding cohort interest listEnrollment and payment are not open on this page.
Sponsor a young leader
Their family’s financial circumstances should not determine whether their voice gets developed.
Five additional seats. More young voices.
YCL is reserving five additional Founding Cohort seats for young leaders whose families may otherwise be unable to afford the academy. These sponsored seats are additional to regular tuition-paying enrollment.
Sponsors support the YCL scholarship initiative. YCL determines awards privately. Sponsors do not browse or select children, and scholarship status is not published.
A place for your young leader
Apply for a sponsored seat.
YCL is reserving five additional Founding Cohort seats for families for whom the full $399 monthly tuition would create a financial barrier. Our process is designed to preserve family dignity.
Tell us how the academy might benefit your child and what level of contribution, if any, would work for your family. Applications and scholarship decisions remain private.
Submitting an application does not guarantee a sponsored seat.
Sponsorship interest
Open a door for a young voice.
Choose the sponsorship or partnership you would like to explore. The YCL team will follow up about program support and next steps.
No payment is collected here. Sponsorships are not represented as tax-deductible donations.
For parents and guardians
Begin with a conversation.
Express interest in enrolling a young leader in the January 2027 founding cohort at $399/month. The YCL team at NRG Group will contact you about the final launch date and secure enrollment steps.
Only basic parent contact details, a child’s age and grade, and your interests are requested here. Full enrollment information will use a separate secure process later.
Moriah Bright Hearts · future collaboration
Every child deserves the opportunity to find their voice.
As Youth Called to Lead grows, we envision Moriah Bright Hearts working alongside community partners and sponsors to help expand access to leadership-development opportunities for children and families.
Sponsor a young leader ↗Community partnership
Become a YCL community partner.
Businesses and community leaders can sponsor a young leader or cohort, provide snacks, educational materials or technology, support a showcase, host a career conversation, share professional expertise, or support a YCL event.
MODR Realty is the founding community sponsor through in-kind access to training space at The Ion. NRG Group operates YCL.
No payment is collected here, and no tax-deductible contribution is represented.
Coming summer 2027
YCL Online.
Digital Leadership Academy.
Young voices, beyond Houston.
YCL Online will bring the academy experience beyond Houston through live, age-appropriate online speaking sessions, guided assignments, and a digital leadership portfolio.
Think → Organize → Speak → Lead
A planned digital experience
- Live online speaking sessions
- Age-banded instruction
- YCL Speech Maps
- Google Classroom assignments
- Presentation projects and recorded speaking assignments
- Instructor feedback
- Leadership Portfolio
- Virtual showcases
Room to grow at every age
Emerging Voices · Ages 5–7
Short speaking, storytelling, and simple organization.
Growing Voices · Ages 8–10
Structured speaking, mind mapping, and presentation fundamentals.
Leading Voices · Ages 11–13
Speech organization, persuasion, and leadership presence.
Program details are in development. Paid subscriptions are not active.
YCL Summer Speakers Academy · coming summer 2027
Find your voice.
Build your confidence.
Lead the room.
A concentrated summer leadership-communication and public-speaking experience. Final dates and pricing will be announced when approved.
Join the summer interest list- 01Find Your Voice
- 02Tell a Great Story
- 03Organize Your Ideas
- 04Speak With Confidence
- 05Persuade Your Audience
- 06Present With Slides
- 07Leadership Challenge
- 08Virtual Showcase
Summer 2027 · interest list
A voice that travels.
Let us know whether your family is interested in the online monthly academy, Summer Speakers Academy, or both. No payment or subscription is collected.
Generational impact
When women open doors, young voices grow.
Women Called to Lead
Women discover, develop, and use their leadership.
Women open doors
Members may express interest in speaking, giving two hours, supporting a challenge, or partnering. Direct student contact requires YCL screening and approval.
Youth Called to Lead
Boys and girls build voice, confidence, and leadership communication.