What happens when high school leaders team up with elementary students? You get Presentation Pals, a fun, engaging initiative through FBLA that’s building confidence, creativity, and communication skills across grade levels.
At Lake George Jr.-Sr. High School, FBLA members have taken on the role of mentors, guiding LGES students through the art of creating and delivering presentations. The idea grew out of last year’s Money Making Mania workshop, where FBLA students discovered how much they enjoyed working with younger learners. When it came time to set goals for this year, the officer team, led by Co-Presidents Chloe Popa and Rachael Evanek, ran with that momentum, introducing the idea of mentoring elementary students. The response was immediate, with 18 FBLA members signing up to be part of the experience.
From there, students got to work. As part of a broader “Randy’s Run Refresh” in celebration of the event’s 25th anniversary, FBLA members collaborated with the Entrepreneurship class, which redesigned the Randy’s Run/Murphy’s Mile logo. After presenting their ideas to the Randy’s Run Committee in January, students refined their work and finalized the logo in February.
At the same time, the Presentation Pals committee developed a four-week workshop series for elementary students, centered around the history and impact of Randy’s Run. Each week builds on the last, starting with an introduction to the event, moving into creating presentations, then focusing on peer feedback and delivery skills, and ending with practice presentations in front of classmates.
Throughout the process, FBLA students took the lead, brainstorming ideas, creating materials, and guiding sessions, while also building meaningful connections with their younger peers.
“Presentation Pals is about more than just public speaking,” said Karen Breslin, Business Teacher and FBLA Adviser. “Our goal is to help students build confidence, develop foundational communication skills, and understand that their ideas matter. At the same time, our high school students are gaining leadership experience and learning how to guide and inspire others.”