Posted: September 27, 2023
Recently, 42 Pennsylvania 4-H members participated in statewide 4-H presentation and public speaking contests.
Held virtually, the contests were open to 4-H members ages 8-19. Members ages 8-13 participated in the junior division; the senior division was for ages 13-19.
The presentation contest is designed to challenge 4-H members' skills and knowledge of giving demonstrations and to recognize their abilities in giving public presentations. This contest provides an opportunity for 4-H'ers to develop and use communication skills, build self-confidence, research and gain knowledge in a selected subject matter area, and teach and share current information with others.
The public speaking contest is intended to support county-level 4-H public speaking programs, challenge 4-H'ers' skills and knowledge in public speaking, instill an understanding of the need for communication skills, and improve speaking skills.
Judges score participants and provide feedback during the contest. Participants can review the judges’ scoresheets to practice and prepare for future opportunities.
In the senior division of the public speaking contest, Melissa Griswold, of Chester County, earned first place; Eliana Fetters, of York County, took second place; Mara Ours, of McKean County, achieved third place; and Alyssa Bergenstock, of Montour County, came in fourth place.
In the public speaking contest's junior division, there was a tie for first place between Zephan Samuel, of Butler County, and Molly Christopher, of Bucks County. A tie for second place occurred between Renea Yerger, of Bucks County, and Emily Couch, of Huntingdon County.
For presentations, Emmy McLaughlin, of Indiana County, earned first place in the senior division of the animal science category, while Bryce Theurer, of Dauphin County, earned first place in that category's junior division.
The junior division of the general category ended in a tie for first place between Tenley Fetzer, of Lebanon County, and Grace Leisey, of Lebanon County.
MD Nahidul Sabit, of Montgomery County, won the senior division of the engineering category. Zephan Samuel, of Butler County, and Gradyn Sanders, of Lebanon County, tied for first place in the junior division.
In the home and family management category, Kera Bentz, of Snyder County, won the senior division, while Nidhi Suchindra, of Chester County, took first place in the junior division.
Aniuta Gupta, of Chester County, won the junior division of the clothing and textiles category. Eli Wnek, of Westmoreland County, earned first place in the junior division of the plant science category.
Six participants qualified to represent Pennsylvania at the Northeast States Regional Contest, a virtual contest which includes participants from Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Attendees are organized into small groups based on their speech and presentation topics and level of experience and serve as peer evaluators throughout the day.
Griswold, Fetters, Ours, and Bergenstock qualified to advance to the regional contest in public speaking, and Bentz and McLaughlin qualified in the presentation category.
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the United States Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website.
