Grayslake and Woodstock, Ill. — Young voices from across Northeastern Illinois will soon take center stage as 4-H members prepare to showcase their communication talents at upcoming 4-H Public Speaking Contests. Designed to help youth build confidence, strengthen presentation skills, and express their ideas in a supportive environment, the contests invite currently enrolled 4-H members ages 8–18 to step up to the microphone and shine.
McHenry County will kick off the season with its Public Speaking Contest on February 21 at the University of Illinois Extension Auditorium, 1102 McConnell Rd., Woodstock. Lake County will follow with its event on March 7 at the Extension Auditorium, 100 S. U.S. Hwy 45, Grayslake. Both contests begin at 9 a.m. and are open to the public.
Participants may compete in one of four dynamic divisions—Formal Speech, Illustrated Speech, Original Works, or Oral Interpretation—allowing youth to select the format that best matches their interests and strengths.
These local contests serve as gateways to the Illinois State 4-H Public Presentation Contest, where top performers from across the state gather to compete. This year’s county-level contests offer youth the opportunity to follow in their footsteps and advance to the state stage later this year on April 25.
“The 4‑H Public Speaking Contest helps youth thrive by building confidence, communication, and leadership skills in a positive and supportive setting. Participants learn to organize their ideas, speak clearly, and share topics they care about while gaining experience presenting in front of an audience. Through constructive feedback and encouragement, youth develop critical thinking, resilience, and self-confidence that carry over into school, careers, and community involvement, empowering youth to find their voice and grow as capable, confident leaders." - Ofelia Delgado, Lake County 4-H Program Coordinator
For more information about the contest or to learn how to get involved in 4-H, contact your local University of Illinois Extension office.
About Illinois 4-H:
Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.