Public speaking is an essential skill for santri (students at Islamic boarding schools) to support religious preaching (da'wah), leadership, and social interaction. However, many santri experience communication apprehension, characterized by nervousness, fear of negative evaluation, and low self-confidence when speaking in public. This community service program aimed to strengthen santri's self-confidence of santri through public speaking training based on communication apprehension management strategies. The program was conducted at Pondok Pesantren Darul Qur'an (PPDQ) Al Imam Wonokromo, Yogyakarta, involving 46 santri and employing a participatory approach consisting of needs identification through observation and Focus Group Discussion (FGD), baseline assessment through a pre-test), simulation-based training, and evaluation through a post-test. The training the normalization of nervousness, box breathing exercises, speech outline preparation, the creation of a supportive learning environment through the Culture of Appreciation approach, and direct public speaking practice. The results indicated an increase in participants' average self-confidence score from 2.57 to 3.50, while the simulation method the creation of a supportive learning environment through the culture of appreciation approach. These findings indicate an initial change in santri's self-confidence and readiness to speak in public following the training. Sustaining these outcomes requires regular practice and the continued implementation of a supportive learning environment in communication activities within the pesantren.
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