Clark and Edgar County 4-H'ers ages 8-13 (beginner) and 14+ (advanced) are invited to sign up for the local public speaking contest.

• Participating youth must be 8 years of age on or before September 1, 2022.  Participating youth turning 14 years of age on or before September 1, 2022, must enroll as advanced.
• Members are required to enroll in the Creative Arts/Public Speaking project at ZSuite to participate.
• If you want the 4-H project guide, "Finding your Voice: Public Speaking made Easy" please order it online or contact your Extension Office to see if they have a copy on hand. 

Winners from the local competition will advance to the state competition on April 29, 2023, in Champaign. The deadline for submission to the State is April 7, 2023

Participants can enter into one of the following categories:

Formal Speech

Self-written | Notes Allowed | No props | Individual | 4-5 minutes for beginners; 4-6 minutes for advanced

Formal Speech - Original Beginner Ages 8-13 (SF 50501A) 

Formal Speech - Original Advanced Ages 14 & Up (SF 50501B)  

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.

Illustrated Speech

Self-written | Notes Allowed | Illustrations Required | Individual | 4-5minutes for beginners; 4-6 minutes for advanced Illustrated Speech - Beginner Ages 8-13 (SF 50503A) 

Illustrated Speech - Advanced Ages 14 & Up (SF 50503B)    

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 | 4-6 minutes

Original Works – Individual (SF 50504)

Original Works – Team (SF 50505)

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/Spoken Word

·         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 | 4-6 minutes

Oral Interpretation – Individual (SF 50506)

Oral Interpretation – Team (SF 50507)

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