Michelle Wright and Michael Bartley 2019 Speak & Tell! Co-Directors
By Sheila Hyland, Operations Manager, Luminari
WTAE-TV’s top-rated morning news anchor Michelle Wright is almost never at a loss for words. Until recently. What do you say when a priceless work of art, a crystal bowl created specifically as the main attraction at a charity fundraiser, accidentally is dropped and shatters into a million pieces just as you’re introducing the item for auction? It happened. And Michelle, in true professional form, wiped the shock off her face, found the appropriate words to salvage the evening and kept emceeing the event with grace.
Like Michelle, veteran broadcaster Michael Bartley was born with the gift of gab. A gift that came in handy several years ago. Michael, then a host at WQED-TV, was scheduled to do a live interview with a well-known Pittsburgh sports celebrity. The guest failed to appear, but the show had to go on. Michael managed to fill a half-hour of live TV by himself, talking and regaling the audience with stories as only he could!
Luminari is excited to welcome this dynamic duo to co-direct our Speak & Tell! Camp. Combined, these multi-award-winning journalists and public speakers bring more than 50 years of unparalleled experience to lead the way. Our campers are in for a treat as Michael and Michelle share their expertise with students to help them build confidence, find their voice behind the podium and have fun doing it!
The pair has a passion and proven track record of working with young people. Michelle is an adjunct professor at Penn State, New Kensington. Michael is executive vice president of the Steeltown Entertainment Project where he works with aspiring young filmmakers.
Michelle says “taking the fear out of public speaking and turning it into a fun and creative adventure will have life-long impact for the teens who enroll in Speak and Tell’s! four-day course.” Michael adds, “I’m thrilled to become part of the Luminari team and doubly thrilled to partner with my friend Michelle Wright. Together we want to instill confidence in teenagers and sharpen their public speaking skills.”
Michael and Michelle say they will empower kids by providing them with life-long speaking, listening and interviewing skills, necessary for almost all of life’s encounters. In addition, several prominent surprise guest speakers will share their stories and experiences. Finally, students will have the opportunity to put their skills to the test by creating and delivering their own short speeches to an audience on the final day of camp—all guided by our dynamic duo, Michael and Michelle!
Welcome Michael and Michelle to the Luminari family!
Speak & Tell! is a great way for teens to gain self-confidence and skills that will have long-lasting impact. To sign up for Speak & Tell! or learn about all of our unique summer camp opportunities for teens, call us at 412-877-1888.
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