4-H Public Speaking School Enrichment Program

The Florida 4-H public speaking program is one of the school enrichment programs 4-H offers. In Indian River County, the 4-H public speaking program is offered to 4th and 5th-grade students. Teachers are provided with suggested curricula and materials to aid the program’s success. Teachers educate the youth on the importance of public speaking and how to write and deliver a speech. Teachers help youth develop a topic, edit their written speech, and finalize details before proceeding to the classroom competition. The winner of the classroom competition then moves to the school-wide competition. One 4th-grade winner and one 5th-grade winner from each school then proceeds to the final county competition. This year, seven schools in Indian River County participated in the 4-H public speaking program; two more schools compared to 2022.

4-H County Competition

On Wednesday, May 17th, 2023, Indian River County 4-H held their 4-H public speaking county competition! The event was a success, and it was amazing to see the amount of talent we have here in Indian River County. All the speeches were excellent and were a variety of topics. Some speech topics were about pineapples, loneliness, sibling rivalry, and other creative subjects! It was amazing to see how well-spoken the 4th and 5th-grade presenters were and how excited they were to be there. The competition was held in the Indian River County Commission Chambers, and it was a full house. Teachers, principals, parents, guardians, grandparents, and other relatives gathered to watch everyone present – it was a great time! We also had the pleasure of having three volunteers help judge the presentations and provide positive feedback. This year our judges were IRC Commissioner Susan Adams, IRC Commissioner Joseph Flescher, and IRC Mosquito Control Commissioner Anna Kirkland.

Thank You!

Indian River County 4-H thanks our program sponsor, Florida Power & Light (FPL), for providing the awards and materials needed to make this program a success. Thank you to the FPL representative, Michele Murrell, who came out to the county competition to give a motivational speech and support the presenters. We also thank Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company for donating refreshments for our guests – this was a big hit, and families enjoyed it.

Indian River County 4-H wants to thank the volunteer judges, teachers, principals, parents, and guardians for helping this program succeed and supporting the youth in Indian River County! Public speaking is one of the most essential life skills. No matter what age you are, you will always use your public speaking skills. The 4-H program provides opportunities for youth to enhance their life skills early and learn how to deliver a speech to a group of individuals successfully.

Want to learn more about this program?

Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office and ask for more details on how to participate. To locate your local extension office, click here: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-your-local-office/

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