High school administrators care deeply about their students’ safety and well-being. When planning an assembly, many begin searching for the right high school consent speaker who can help students learn about boundaries, respect, and healthy relationships. Yet many schools still struggle with one important question:
How do we choose the right speaker to address consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships with our students?
The truth is that not all programs are created equal. The right speaker can transform how students think about relationships, respect, and decision-making. More importantly, the right speaker can transform how students ACT moving forward. The wrong one can feel like just another lecture students quickly forget.
If you’re planning a student assembly on consent, here are several key factors to consider before bringing someone to campus.
1. Choose a Speaker Who Specializes in Teen Consent Education
Teen audiences require a very specific approach.
Students will disengage quickly if the speaker:
- Talks at them instead of with them
- Uses language that feels outdated or preachy or lacks inclusivity
- Focuses only on warnings of “What Not To Do” instead of teaching skills
An effective high school consent speaker should specialize in working with teens and understand the realities they face today.
This includes conversations around:
- Consent and communication
- Boundaries and respect
- Alcohol and decision-making
- Speaking up and standing up for others
- Owning their personal values
Students need real-world skills, not just awareness.
Because awareness alone rarely changes behavior.
2. Ask the Right Questions Before Hiring a Speaker
Before selecting a program, ask the speaker some important questions.
A strong speaker should welcome these questions and answer them clearly.
Consider asking:
What is your experience speaking to high school students?
Look for speakers who have worked with diverse schools: public, private, faith-based, rural, and urban and have done so for a long time. In the speaking world, you’ll often see lots of speakers who “quick hits” who a year later are no longer speaking. Look for someone with a proven track record.
How interactive is your program?
Students learn far more when they participate instead of just listening.
Interactive assemblies may include:
- Role-play scenarios
- Audience-Driven Conversations
- Real-life decision-making discussions
What specific skills will students leave with?
The best programs teach practical behaviors students can immediately apply in their lives.
For example:
- How to ask for consent
- How to set boundaries confidently
- How to intervene when someone needs support
3. Make Sure the Speaker Aligns With Your School’s Values
Every school community is unique.
A strong consent education program should be adaptable and respectful of the school’s culture, mission, and expectations.
Ask speakers how they customize their program for different environments.
Experienced presenters understand how to adjust messaging for:
- Public schools
- Private and faith-based schools
- Different age levels (6th -12th grade)
- Parent and faculty sessions
The goal is to support your school’s mission while equipping students with essential life skills.
4. Look for PROVEN Evidence of Real Impact
A powerful assembly should do more than create a moment of inspiration.
It should lead to lasting change in how students think and behave.
Research from the CDC shows that teaching healthy relationship skills can help reduce teen dating violence and improve student safety.
This is one of the most common mistakes that happen when hiring a good speaker versus a great impactful speaker. A good speaker might emotionally engage your students and yet will often fail to equip and empower the students to make new choices. A truly great speaker leads to students making new choices!!
Ask potential speakers about proven measurable outcomes they can share with you, such as:
- What percentage of students commit to changing how they engage in consent?
- What percent of students are more likely to intervene for their peers?
- What percent of students will proactively support survivors moving forward?
Schools often report that when students are taught clear and specific communication skills combined with engaging the students with their own personal values, they begin applying those lessons immediately; in friendships, dating, and everyday interactions.
5. Consider the Investment
While budget clearly matters, so does impact. Being willing to invest more knowing the speaker you choose is much more likely to have a greater impact on the lives of students is the smartest approach.
When evaluating speakers, consider:
- What level of expertise and speaking experience does this speaker bring to your school? How many schools have they spoken in? What types of schools has this speaker spoken in? What are those schools saying about this speaker?
- Is “low cost” the approach we want to take with vital topics in students’ lives? In the world of speaking, “you get what you pay for” has been proven to be true. You do NOT want a speaker who accidentally does harm by not having the experience to know how to handle every situation that can arise with these topics. If need be, team up with parent organizations, Booster Clubs, and others for helping to bring the best speaker possible.
- How flexible is the speaker in their content and approach? Hire someone who is not just following a script and instead can adjust to wherever your students need them to go in the moment. This talent can be hard to find and can be the difference maker in the lives of students.
- Opportunities for follow-up resources or materials. Does the speaker include a curriculum the school can utilize after the speaker leaves?
Many schools find that pairing a student assembly with a parent or educator session strengthens the impact and reinforces the message across the entire community.
A well-designed program should feel like a partnership with your school, not just a one-time event.
Why This Work Matters
When students learn how to communicate with respect, ask for consent, and honor boundaries, they build skills that impact their entire lives and the lives of their peers.
Because at the core of consent education is a simple truth:
Every person deserves dignity and respect.
And when students are equipped with the right tools, they rise to that expectation.
Bringing a Consent Speaker to Your School
If you’re exploring options for a high school consent speaker or planning a student assembly on consent, it’s worth taking time to find the program that best fits your school’s goals and culture.
The right speaker can help students develop healthier relationships, stronger communication skills, and a deeper understanding of respect. The right speaker can help your school become safer.
If you’d like to learn more about bringing a consent and healthy relationship program to your school, feel free to reach out to explore options or schedule a conversation.
Because when we lead with respect, students gain skills that last a lifetime.
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Through the work of the Center for Respect, Mike Domitrz has spent more than three decades helping schools and their students discover and gain these practical skills. His programs focus on providing students specific skills on consent, boundaries, respect, speaking up for others, and real-world decision-making that empowers individuals to step forward when it matters most.
If your school is working to strengthen prevention efforts or build a stronger culture of respect for every student, you can learn more about available trainings, resources, and speaking programs by contacting us here at this link.
If you would like to watch a 5-minute preview video of the highly sought after “SAFER Choices” student assembly on consent, boundaries, intervening for others, supporting each other, and building healthy relationships founded on respect, click here.