The institute is offered every Saturday morning by CSUN¹s Department of Communication Studies.

"This program not only gives the local junior high and high school students a chance to prepare themselves for college, but it also allows CSUN students to put theory into practice, by getting a chance to give back what they have learned," said Rebecca Litke, a communication studies professor at CSUN and director of the institute.

The classes are taught by upper-division students who are trained by Litke in creating lesson plans.

Since it started in the fall of 1996, with 14 students and three assistants, the program has grown to include 40 students and nearly 20 assistants this year.

Junior high and high school students participating in the program come from public and private schools as well as home schools.

The six-week course focuses on preparing the students to successfully and effectively deliver speeches. Students are taught to overcome their speech anxieties, analyze their audiences, develop speaking outlines and create a sense of credibility.

For more information about the program, call Rebecca Litke at (818) 677-2853 or e-mail her at rebecca.litke@csun.edu.