Stand Up and Speak: Parent Interview with Deepak Kashyap

Watch our Parent interview with Deepak Kashyap to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Stand Up and Speak.

Transcript of the interview

How did you know that this was the right fit?

Stand Up and Speak kind of stood out from the initial research that I did. For him, I think he at the beginning, he always had challenges interacting with people, even when he was young. So I googled quite a bit regarding his ability to communicate with outsiders or even with friends. And then once he was in, I could gradually see his progression from where he was and rather where he is now.

What is unique about the camp?

I would say it's their ability to put them through quite a few challenges. It covers a breadth of in-person, online, and video-based formats. So it gives the kids the exposure across various means in which how they need to communicate or put their points across.

Was there any personal growth you saw in your child?

I could actually see the transition of how he has progressed over time from being hesitant, showing the key traits of being nervous while recording or while facing people, to where he is now. What they do is one unique thing is they send a recording on a weekly basis of what transpired in the class. I have a collection of all his recordings right from his first session four years back that he was at Stand Up and Speak up until now. That has been a great progression for him with the exposure that he has got at the platform that they provide.

Speaker 2: Camper

I think that I improved a lot at Stand Up and Speak. When I was a little kid, I realized that I didn't like talking to other people. I didn't like to interact with people. But after I have been with Stand Up and Speak for such a long time, I realized that it's not so bad after all. The teachers were very helpful. The competitions actually pushed me to my limits, seeing how other people can be better than me. So I have to try to be better than them. And also the lots of days of preparation that I have to do.

How can a parent support their child to get the most out of this experience?

Keep pushing them at home as well. I do interact with some of the teachers or instructors there as well. And we actually follow up with them after every contest or anything. And let's say there were a few improvements that we could make, and we do quite a bit of practice that supports him at home as well. And we are up there for him whenever he needs to attend any of the contests or of sorts, just to ensure that he's ready for it and support him in every way possible.

What would you tell other parents about the value of sending kids here?

The ability to communicate your thoughts and your views in a concise way is so critical. It's so critical at a day and age where we have to interact with so many people, be it in person or now post-COVID online as well. One thing is about you having the knowledge, and the bigger part is that you're able to articulate that in a concise way to others. So that's exactly what this platform provides for kids in terms of giving them the exposure. That definitely enables the child and builds them up to face real-life challenges as they grow up.

Final thoughts

I have practically seen him grow from being a nervous kid on the block to being confident and being able to face people. I would recommend every parent to probably consider Stand Up and Speak because it's definitely, I have seen it in my son from the challenges that he had encountered and where he is now, and to an extent, he's better than me in terms of facing people. Last year, he was an MC at the IRN Gala, and he did an awesome job. So that truly, I would say, is what the platform provides.

Interviews with parents, participants, and alum

Stand Up and Speak: Camper Interview with Hashir Jaffry

Watch our Camper interview with Hashir Jaffry to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Stand Up and Speak. Watch interview

Verified written reviews of Stand Up and Speak