Eleven talented 4-H members from Edwards, Richland, and Wayne counties showcased their public speaking skills at the local 4-H public speaking competition held on Monday, February 16th. The event, organized by Illinois Extension serving Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, and Wayne counties, aimed to encourage youth participation in the 4-H communications project and help members strengthen their public speaking abilities.
Participants delivered a diverse selection of speeches, including formal presentations, original works, illustrated speeches, and oral interpretations. Topics ranged from agricultural practices such as cover crops to the universal swine ear notching system, highlighting the breadth of knowledge and creativity among the competitors.
“It is great to see an increase in youth participating in public speaking. All the speeches were amazing, and I know our judge had a hard time selecting State Fair delegates from each of our counties,” said Samantha Gaither, Illinois Extension 4-H youth development educator. “We are excited to see each of these delegates compete at the state level in April and for them to gain more experience to bring back to their communities.”
The competition’s top five speeches were awarded as follows:
First place: Levi Clodfelter, Richland County
Second place: Aleine Berger, Richland County
Third place: Niyah Hawkins, Edwards County
Fourth place: Shailey and Charles Roush, Richland County
Fifth place: Kenleigh and Silas Keyser, Wayne County
Each county could advance up to three speeches to the Illinois State 4-H Public Speaking Contest, set for April 25th in Champaign.
The following were selected as State Fair delegates for their counties:
Edwards County: Niyah Hawkins
Richland County: Levi Clodfelter, Aleine Berger, Seth Clodfelter
Wayne County: Addison Hutchcraft, Kenleigh and Silas Keyser
Shailey and Charles Roush were named State Fair alternates for Richland County.
Illinois Extension extends its thanks to Courtney Yost for volunteering as the judge for the competition. For more information about 4-H programs in the five-county area, visit extension.illinois.edu/elrww.