When the weather gets warmer, and the birds start chirping in the springtime, you know it’s almost time for the 4-H Communications Contest. 4-H members are encouraged to participate by preparing either a speech or demonstration on a topic they love and presenting it to a panel of judges at the County Communications Contest. The winners of each category move on to the Area Communications contest, and the winners of each category at the area contest move on to the State Communications contest at the Kentucky State Fair.

In Owen County, there were six (6) total entries in the Speech, Demonstrations, and Mock Interview contest. Leading up to the Owen County Communications Contest, two (2) local adult volunteers held five (5) workshops to help youth build their projects and practice their communications and public speaking skills. Each workshop was geared towards another step in the speech writing process. The volunteers taught youth brainstorming techniques, how to plan and outline a speech, proper speech etiquette and organization, and finally gave the youth practice in performing their speech for a panel.

As the 4-H Youth Development Agent in Owen County, I was watching for youth that were struggling in the program. I spotted one member at the first workshop that I believed needed extra support throughout the process. They were very shy and had a clear fear of public speaking. This member didn’t speak often at all, and when they did, it was very quiet and usually only spoke a few words. As the workshops continued, I noticed the member participating in conversations more and asking questions, even outside of the communications program in other clubs this member was involved in. On a 4-H trip to visit a Country Ham Curing Facility, while driving, I noticed them laughing and actively engaged in conversation with other members, something I had not seen beforehand. By the end of the Owen County Communications Contest, the member was able to stand up and deliver her speech, while earning enough points to make it to the next level of competition.

There was a clear difference in the confidence of members after the Communications Workshops. Members were able to speak more confidently, engage in more conversations, and felt overall more comfortable delivering a speech and demonstration than members who did not attend the workshops. 100% of the members who attended workshops advanced to the next level of competition. One member that attended the workshops said, “Before the workshops, I was so nervous to give a speech. Now I feel way more confident. I think I want to do this again next year!” By including workshops in the 4-H Communications program, we can improve the confidence of young people and help them become better public speakers.