“Best Buddies International” Informative Outline Example

This preparation outline represents the common structure of an informative speech. Remember that your teacher or instructor is the final authority on how you structure your speech and how you write its outline. This outline merely represents what is common.

See our “Organization” page for more specific advice on how to construct your speech. Also, your teacher may require that your preparation outline contain citations.

This speech was performed and graciously submitted for use on this website by Allie Marcom, a finalist for the Spring 2019 Smokey Talks public speaking competition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Introduction

1. Attention-gaining device – Who here has a friend? I want you all to think of that specific friend and what that person means to you, and your every day life.
2. Specific Purpose (conversational) – Today, I am going to inform you of 4 main factors, or pillars, of the Best Buddies International mission.
   • These four pillars are one-to-one friendships, inclusive living, integrated employment, and leadership development.
   • Relevance statement – This is important for you to hear because, as a society, we need to see the importance for the need for inclusion in our day-to-day lives.
   • Credibility statement – I have been a volunteer for this organization for 10 years.
3. Central Idea – The four main points that Best Buddies International strives to provide for people with IDD are one-to-one friendships, inclusive living, integrated employment, and leadership development.

Internal preview – First, let’s have a look at the importance of one-to-one inclusive friendships.

Body

1. Main point – The first and largest aspect of Best Buddies International is our one-to-one friendships programs.

• • Sign post, Preview…Best Buddies friendship programs are located in all 50 states, as well as 50 countries around the world.
  • Citation /or Common Knowledge… In a 2019 article by CBS News, Dr. Vivek Murthy made headlines when he called loneliness a fatal epidemic. Dr. Murthy said, “The increased mortality associated with loneliness is equal to the increased mortality we see with smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and it’s in fact greater than the mortality associated with obesity.”
  • Explanation…Best Buddies solves this issue by forming one-to-one friendships between a buddy (person with an IDD) and a peer buddy (person without an IDD) to form a buddy pair.

Transition – Next,  I want to talk to you about Best Buddies’ newest pillar, our inclusive living program.

1. Main point – The inclusive living program is the only program that is not located internationally at this point, but based on research, I believe that this program will benefit people with IDD outside of the US the most in future years.

• • First, Preview… People with IDD often suffer from discrimination and abuse.
  • Citation … In my research I found…A 2017 article in Global Observatory for Inclusion, it is stated that 24.2 percent of people with disabilities in Nepal have reported that they have been abused at home.
  • Explanation… This is important because Best Buddie can help.

Transition ––Next, let’s take a look at the Best Buddies Jobs program.

1. Main point – It can be extremely difficult for people with IDD to find jobs, and support themselves.
   • Sign post, Preview As humans on this earth, we need jobs to support ourselves. It can be extremely hard for people with disabilities to find a stable job.
   • Citation … In a 2005 study by Kansas University Center for Research on Learning, it was discovered that in developing countries 80%-90% of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed. Specifically, let’s look at Asia and the Pacific. There are 370 million people with IDD, 238 million of them are of working age, their unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 80%.
   • Explanation… The Best Buddies Jobs program helps to bridge this gap of inclusion in the workplace by helping people with IDD prepare for, interview for, and land jobs in their communities.

Transition – Finally, I want to talk to you about the leadership development aspect of Best Buddies International.

1. Main point – Everyone has the capability of being a leader, but not everyone is given the opportunity to act on their leadership skills.

• • Sign post, Preview People with IDD are often not given the same opportunities as people without disabilities to be leader in their communities.
  • Citation … In a 2015 Global Citizen report, The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development suggests that it seems as though kids with disabilities are not being given equal opportunities.
  • Explanation… The Best Buddies Ambassador program gives people with IDD the opportunity to learn how to give speeches with the assistance of speech coaches from around the world.

Conclusion

Internal summary – In conclusion, I have talked to you today about the four pillars of the Best Buddies mission, one-to-one friendships, integrated living, integrated employment, and leadership development.

Final statement – I’m going to end with a quote by Missy Naff, the programs direcor of Best Buddies Tennessee. Missy always says, “A friend is one of the nicest things that you can have and one of the best things you can be.” Be a friend today.