About the project
Power Speaking Academy 101 (PSA101) is a European project under the Erasmus+ program. It is a joint initiative of Diapasoul Srl (DIA) – an innovative educational center founded and run by theater actors in Rome – and the University of Humanities and Economics in Łódź (AHE). The project aims to co-create, test, and standardize the modular „Power Speaking” course, designed for students, young people, local entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, people with communication disorders, disadvantaged target groups, and employed individuals seeking retraining. It is therefore aimed at a broad audience and can be applied to various social groups.
The core of the course is the development of public speaking skills and other interpersonal communication skills (e.g., speaking in front of an audience, one-on-one interactions, presenting to investors, and many other applications in everyday life). The course was piloted at AHE and is being implemented in line with its key principle of the „Third Mission” (Kitagawa, Sanchez Barrioluengo, & Uyarra, 2016), which involves engaging society on cultural, social, and economic levels to create an innovative educational space.
Overall, the PSA101 pilot initiative is an experimental process of knowledge transfer between a private entity and a higher education institution, with the active participation of policy-makers and civil society. It thus embodies a multi-helix and multi-stakeholder approach, facilitating collaboration and educational co-innovation between knowledge holders, academic communities, and other key actors in society.
Duration: 10.2023-09.2024
Project goals
- Creating a public speaking course at the higher education level, leveraging global and European best practices in this field;
- Building a knowledge base on public speaking for higher education students, in close collaboration with administrative and academic staff, assessing obstacles and bottlenecks, and refining learning strategies and objectives;
- Piloting the delivery of practical soft skills to specific target groups outside the university, in line with the principles of the „Third Mission,” particularly youth, small business owners, unemployed individuals, young entrepreneurs, and people with communication disorders;
- Supporting inclusion and diversity in education, work-places, and entrepreneurial ecosystems by fostering empowerment through verbal communication, self-expression, and soft skills;
- Creating and promoting an innovative educational space as an outcome of the pilot project, serving as a long-term tool for sustainable development, and disseminating its results in the European market.
Why is Power Speaking?
According to Stanford researcher Matt Abrahams, 85% of people feel anxious about public speaking, making it one of the most common fears. Audiences such as students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and healthcare professionals increasingly seek to improve their communication skills.
Power Speaking Academy 101 (PSA101) offers a holistic approach to self-improvement by focusing on emotional communication, storytelling, vocal techniques, and stage presence, all taught by theater professionals. This model, adopted by leading universities in the US and EU (e.g., Stanford, UC Berkeley, IE University), integrates project-based learning to foster self-awareness, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills.
EU universities are also embracing the „Third Mission,” using education to drive social innovation and engage with civil society. PSA101 equips individuals from all backgrounds, including disadvantaged groups, with the tools to enhance communication, listening, and self-expression, addressing the growing demand for public speaking and interpersonal skills in Europe.
How?
The primary mechanism at work here is the transfer of knowledge between the private sector and the university.
More specifically, DIA collaborates with AHE at a transnational level, enabling the exchange of knowledge and experience through the pilot program in a controlled testing environment, bringing new ideas and perspectives to the project.
AHE’s expertise and interest in fostering creativity and project-based learning can assist DIA in further improving and refining the course in various aspects, including curriculum design, teaching strategies, technology integration, and assessment methods. Access to new resources, such as university facilities, can enhance the quality and effectiveness of the course and help test it in a new environment with diverse audiences.
Who we are?
Diapasoul (DIA)
Based in Rome, Diapasoul (DIA) has been specializing in emotional management and public speaking for nearly six years, organizing both online and live courses, live events, and tailored power speaking programs. DIA collaborates with actors, screenwriters, and voice actors from the worlds of cinema, theater, and music. Through exercises and theatrical techniques, each participant gains full awareness of their communication method, using their emotions as a superpower to ultimately overcome the fear of public speaking
Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi (AHE)
Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi (University of Humanities and Economics in Łódź) (AHE) is an accredited higher education institution that, in addition to traditional university programs (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees), also offers postgraduate studies and courses for various target groups (e.g., youth, students, individuals with disabilities, seniors, teachers, trainers, professionals, mi-grants, children, youth with developmental delays, and the un-employed).
Power Speaking pilot course
The Power Speaking Academy workshop focused on self-awareness, improvisation and effective communication. Participants explored non-verbal cues, cognitive thinking and emotional coordination through theatre exercises inspired by Peter Brook’s avant-garde techniques. The programme emphasised the importance of ‘how’ over ‘what’, encouraging respect, collaboration and learning from mistakes. By simulating performances and engaging in theatre therapy, participants overcame their fear of public speaking, culminating in confident TEDx-style presentations. The workshop fostered passion, ethics and humanity in communication, transforming it into an act of generosity and pure enjoyment.
Selected photos from the workshop in Łódź and the final event in Rome
