SPEAKING

CLEAR MESSAGING, INSIDE NERVES, OUTSIDE CALM

Written by: Chris DeCubellis

Imagine being your 12-year-old self, standing in front of a room full of people and articulating complex details on a topic you are passionate about, in a manner that others easily understand.

Inside you might be a ball of nerves, but outwardly you are calm. You utilize excellent voice inflection, have prepared visual aids that help tell your story and clarify your facts. Finally, you end your presentation … to thunderous applause from peers, parents, and impressed judges.

This is exactly what we encourage our members to do as part of their 4-H experience. Regardless of where they live or what project they choose, public presentation skills are some of the most important life skills any young person can develop and improve in 4-H. This is a skill that will serve them well later in life, in places such as job interviews, civic organizations, or even voicing concerns at a local county commission meeting. In fact, many 4-H’ers will go on to careers that involve clear and confident communication.

It all begins with a young person choosing a topic in which they are legitimately interested, and this is often associated with a 4-H project. If they are passionate enough about rabbits to care for them daily, for example, then they will be motivated to research details that make them a better caretaker of that rabbit, in researching diseases or properly meeting nutritional requirements.

The young person is encouraged to present something they have learned about their project at a local 4-H club meeting surrounded by their friends and adults who care about them. It is a safe environment to try something— even to fail—and therefore a safe environment to practice and excel.

From the club level, young people can present at something called 4-H County Events. This is an annual competition for 4-H club members in which they compete in project demonstrations or illustrated talks, speeches, as well as things like fashion review, Share the Fun (a talent contest), poster contests and photo contests. If a young person earns a blue ribbon at 4-H County Events, then they can compete at 4-H District Events, which brings the best from several counties together for competition.

For older youth, blue-ribbon winners at district events are invited to compete at Florida 4-H University, which is a week on campus at the University of Florida. The youth not only compete at this state-level event, but they can also stay in college dormitories and take short courses from university faculty; some might just be these young people’s professors in the future.

In Florida, we classify 4-H members by the young person’s age on September 1 of that program year. Cloverbuds are ages 5-7, and often start off their speaking skills by reciting the 4-H pledge for the club or even at competition. Juniors are ages 8-10, and Intermediates are 11-13; these ages would need to present a 4-H demonstration or illustrated talk that is between 3-12 minutes in length. Seniors are ages 14-18, and they would need to prepare a demonstration or illustrated talk between 5-12 minutes.

In competition, youth are evaluated on things such as appearance and poise, voice and grammar, their

Clockwise from bottom left: Maddie Goss competes in a Share the Fun competition, 4-H illustrated talks allow deep dives into a topic, food prep demos combine public speaking and culinary arts, and success can lead to blue ribbons, life advantages.

FLORIDA 4-H

introduction, use of equipment or visual aids, logical sequence, and summary. Judges also look at topic selection, level of difficulty, accuracy, and knowledge on the subject.

If kids and teens are interested in joining a 4-H club, there are options. Contact your local UF/ IFAS Extension Office for more information, visit florida4h.org, or email me at cdecube@ufl.edu.

It is hoped that if they join, they will soon be confident enough to prepare and present at a local club meeting on a topic that is important to them. They should leave more confident. FCM

Roundup

4-H motto To Make the Best Better

4-H slogan Learn by Doing

4-H pledge

“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living. For my club, my community, my country and my world.”

Source: florida4h.org