GOPIO-Edison successfully completes Youth Leadership Program of Toastmasters Club

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The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin-Edison Chapter (GOPIO-Edison), sponsored a Youth Leadership Program (YLP), for High School Students run by the Sayreville Toastmasters Club based out of Sayreville, NJ under District-83 of Toastmaster International (TI).

The free program is very popular as a means to develop leadership and public speaking qualities in young adults under the age of eighteen and to make them aware of Toastmasters International, organizers said.

GOPIO Edison Lifetime Founding Member, as, Club President, Chitranjan Sahay Belwariar, who recently became Division Director ‘F’, District-83, TI, took the initiative to organize the event.

The program was conducted over six weeks in online Zoom sessions, a May 9, 2023, press release from GOPIO-Edison said. The district-83 official Somesh Chablani, the Chair for Youth Leadership, gave valuable guidance to the program and suggested getting parental consent, organizers said. The initiative was also supported by Toastmasters Javeed Ghani,  Smita Tokekar and Pallavi Verma, who is also president of GOPIO-Edison. The Zoom meetings took place every Thursday at 7pm and young students were participating very enthusiastically, signing the google sheet to pick roles such as speaker, evaluator, Timer, and listener.

On Saturday, April 29^th the certification distribution was held in hybrid mode at Sayreville Public Library. The entire Library staff helped run the program by the club. Organizers thanked Librarian Aziza Haque, and others, for help in providing the space and Library equipment for club events.

The Final Session concluded on April 27, 2023.  Every student who participated and was at the last class, gave positive feedback. Many participants joined over zoom, and some were present in-person.

“I am going to add this experience in my college application,” one of them said. Another parent sent a thank-you note to the club for the initiative. They request more such events.

The appreciation certificates were virtually shared over zoom and given to those who were present and later sent to each deserving students as digital certificates to their emails.

GOPIO-Edison, NJ has been a community service organization since early 2022 hosting programs of broader interest to the Indian Diaspora community, the press release said.

To become member GOPIO-Edison and Toatmasters Club, contact, Chitranjan Sahai Belwariar, Tel: 848-459-5918, Email: GOPIO.EDISON.NJ@gmail.com