Public Speaking Contest – Thursday, February 27, 6:30 PM – Clark County Extension Office 

COMMUNICATIONS: PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Enrollment in the Public Presentations project is required to participate in this section. No live animals are allowed in speeches.

Formal Speech | Self-written | Notes Allowed | No props | Individual | 4-8 minutes

Formal Speeches share the presenter’s own unique view and are intended to motivate, persuade, or inform an audience and may include a call to action. Youth deliver a speech on any topic they wish (Original Oratory), or choose one of these four topics on which to speak (Topical Response):

• Welcome to the Digital Age
• What is My Connection to the Global Community?
• Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and Does It Matter?
• If I Could See tomorrow…

Illustrated Speech | Self-written | Notes allowed | Illustrations Required | Individual | 4-8  minutes

Illustrated Speeches may be used to inform, persuade, or motivate the audience while using a visual aid. Visual aids may be two dimensional, three-dimensional, or digital. Youth may include audience participation. Digital visual aids must be stored on a USB flash drive. Illustrated speeches may be:

• How-to demonstrations which show the audience how to do something.
• Object lessons which use objects as metaphors to share a message.
• Educational models where drawings or diagrams help explain a topic.

Original Works | Self-written | Notes allowed | Props and Costumes Allowed |

Individual or 2-Person Team | Manuscripts sent in Advance | 4-8 minutes

Original works must be written entirely by the presenter. It may be presented as an individual or a two-person team entry. Manuscripts must be sent in advance to the contest. Presentations may be designed for TV, radio, or online media and must be presented live. The types of entries could include:

• Prose and Short Stories
• Poetry
• Broadcast Media Program
• Theatrical
• Combined Program: Combine any number of the above elements along with other creative presentation forms

Oral Interpretation | Published work | Props and Costumes Allowed | Individual or 2-Person Team |
Manuscripts sent in Advance | 4-8 minutes

Presentations in Oral Interpretation must be published works, and manuscripts or transcripts must be submitted prior to the event. They may be presented as an individual or a two-person team entry. The types of entries could include:

• Prose and Short Stories
• Poetry
• Theatrical Interpretation
• Published Speech Recitation: Excerpt from a spoken presentation delivered by a public figure, such as Winston Churchill, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Maya Angelou
• Combined Program: Combine any number of the above elements along with other creative presentation forms