Power of the Pitch: Communicating the “Valuable You” in 60 Seconds or Less

What if your voice already has power, but its invisibility self-sabotages and silences it? This exercise challenges the quiet myth of student powerlessness by making students’ valuable resources – their power – visible and heard in 1-minute pitches they can use to influence specific individuals in both personal and professional situations to change. Contrary to students’ initial beliefs, power is the asymmetrical control of resources valued by others that gives them the potential to influence others. Students select specific targets, identify resources they control that their targets value, and craft strategic value statements motivating action. Unlike generic elevator-pitch exercises, this pitch design builds political acumen (social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and authenticity) by making them see power is in their control through multiple rounds of peer feedback about their unique value. Students leave with concise, evidence-backed pitches grounded in the power of their authentic story and voice.