4-H Public Presentations

Public Speaking: It's for Everyone!

The ability to clearly communicate an idea to others is a powerful tool. It is a necessary skill that will help you reach many goals in life. Mastering this skill during your 4-H career will give you the advantages needed to succeed in college, business and making positive change in your community.

4-H Public Presentations is a program in which youth learn to create a presentation and develop the skills needed to present it before an audience. You learn about the research process and the steps needed to organize information into an interesting and creative presentation.

4-H Public Presentations in an investment in your future and every member, including Cloverbuds, should participate every year. This is not a competition, rather an opportunity to become a better you! You cannot fail, but you will learn, grow and develop lifelong speaking abilities that will help you now in school, home and in club/community leadership opportunities.

Youth learn about the varied purposes of presentations and how to tailor their presentations appropriately to fit their intentions. Beginners are encouraged to select simple topics with which they are extremely comfortable, so that the presentation process is the focus of their learning without the stress of learning about an unfamiliar topic.

Participants can from from the following types of presentation:

• Demonstration: This type of presentation requires you to talk while working on something. It can be cooking, sewing, building, etc.
• Illustrated Talk: This is slightly more formal, using a poster or technology to help you relay your message.
• Speech: For the more experience speaker, You do not use posters or technology to get your point across.
• Dramatization/Recitation: A fun, confidence building experience -- it is like acting only with no props.

As youth progress and grow each year, they are challenged to try one of the more difficult types of presentations, to use more advanced technology in their presentations where appropriate, and to venture into unfamiliar topics or presentation styles.

Level I - Club presentations. 4-H members are encouraged to prepare and present their 4-H presentation in front of their primary 4-H Club.  The presentation is not formally evaluated but rather used as practice to prepare for 4-H County Presentations. 

4-H County Presentations

Level II - County event. 4-H members present in front of trained volunteer evaluators in a classroom style setting.  Numerical scores given by evaluators. Participation awards are given immediately after event. Presenters who qualify based on age and score may be selected to advance to 4-H District Presentations.

Register to Present Here

4-H District Day

Level III - District event. Selected 4-H members from Southeast Counties take part in this event. Presentations are given in a public setting to trained volunteer evaluators.  Numerical scores given by evaluators. Participation certificates are awarded immediately after event. Registration required.

Information will be provided if selected to advance .

NYS STATE 4-H PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

Level IV - State event.

 4-H members who qualify based on age and scores may be selected to advance to the New York State 4-H Public Presentations event.  This event is typically held at Cornell University and will be a separate event from Horse Communications.

Last updated February 8, 2024