Our story
The Eastside is full of brilliant students, especially in STEM, who freeze the moment they have to stand up and speak. We change that, early.
Why it matters
Communication is the skill employers value most, and the one graduates are least ready for. That gap is exactly what we start closing.
Employers who call communication essential
Grads employers find proficient at it
Communication is the skill employers most often say job applicants lack.
Sources: NACE Job Outlook and U.S. employer soft-skills surveys.
The results
Measured across all 136 students, from the first day to speech day.
average impromptu speaking time
average filler words per speech
self-rated confidence, out of 10
Our growth
We started with one room of fourteen at Klahanie. This summer we taught more students than our first two years combined, nearly six times over, across four locations.
Workshop locations
Click a bar or a location to trace it across the years.
All locations
136
students, three summers
2026: Sahalee 26 · Issaquah 24 · Bellevue 28 · Klahanie 26
In their words
In our post-workshop survey, families rated us 4.9 out of 5 on how likely they are to recommend 425 Speaks.
Wonderful public speaking program! Deyansh is engaging, patient, and truly knows how to connect with kids. My son’s confidence has skyrocketed, and we couldn’t be happier with his progress. Thank you, Deyansh!
Asha Prasanth
Parent · Issaquah
My kid Krithik’s confidence has gotten better after this camp. Ilkay was a great mentor for my kid and for the rest of the group. We saw the final presentation and were surprised at how his input helped the kids grow in public speaking at a much higher level. Thanks a lot for conducting such an awesome camp. Looking forward to future ones.
Ramya Rajendran
Parent · Klahanie
Emily and Lauren are simply amazing. My daughter loved everything about this experience. They are calm, patient, engaging and very resourceful.
425 Speaks parent
Bellevue City Hall
Eric, my children enjoyed this quite a bit and I see they were very invested in the whole process from day 1. Thank you and hoping you all continue to encourage and mentor school kids.
Sukanya Pyne
Parent · Sahalee
425 Speaks did a great job. They encouraged kids to speak their minds and helped them articulate their thoughts.
Saniya Afzal
Parent
This was a very good learning experience and a great initiative. Kudos to the entire team.
Sreevidya Balaji
Parent
What we’ve built
Three summers in, our students are already taking what they learn beyond the room.
Highlight
A student from our 2024 group went on to place first in their area public speaking competition, alongside 425 Speaks instructors. We provide the foundation for students to excel upon.
What’s next
Grades 6–9 workshops run across the Eastside every summer.
Find a workshop