A foundation for young adults entering academic, public, and professional settings with confidence, character, and a sense of their own voice.
From Model UN to life beyond campus
First Platforms is for older teens and young adults beginning to represent themselves and their institutions in school debates, Model UN, university conferences, formal events, and professional life.
The course begins with character and confidence: how participants wish to contribute, how they want to be remembered, and how their values can be carried into the rooms they enter. It then connects these questions to practical preparation.
Participants explore first impressions, introductions, reading a room, listening and responding, managing time at the microphone, and representing a school or university with composure. Short speaking exercises and event scenarios give them opportunities to practice, receive feedback, and try again.
The emphasis is on moving between informal and formal settings with greater assurance, while retaining a manner and voice that feel their own.
Youth Compass provides free access to selected Maxim Praxis sessions in social and business etiquette, protocol, and intercultural communication for young adults who might not otherwise have access to this preparation.
Sessions introduce practical knowledge for situations such as a professional introduction, an interview, a university event, or a formal invitation. Guided practice gives participants opportunities to develop conversation, professional communication, and the conduct required when representing themselves or an institution.
Partner organizations may select from the existing offerings according to their work and the interests of the young people they serve.
We welcome partnership enquiries from organizations supporting young adults who would benefit from this preparation.