Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament
Workshops | Qualifying | New “Impromptu” Category | Past Tournaments | Questions
Save the Date!! Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8, 2023 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held.
For an overview and photo gallery of the 2022 Maine State Public Speaking Tournament, view the page.
Public Speaking Workshops
2023 4-H Public Speaking Workshops
Hancock County
Sunday, January 29 (snow date February 5) from 2:00 – 4:00 pm
University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Hancock County Office
63 Boggy Brook Rd, Ellsworth, ME
This workshop is open to enrolled 4-Hers and others who are interested in learning about 4-H Public Speaking. Limited to the first 16 youth to register.
Washington County
Saturday, January 28 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Edmunds Consolidated School, 21 Harrison Rd, Dennysville, ME
Knox and Lincoln Counties
Saturday, February 4 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Knox & Lincoln Office
377 Manktown Rd, Waldoboro, ME
Register by January 31, contact Pamela Doherty at 207-832-0343, pamela.doherty@maine.edu
Qualifying for the State Tournament
All youth in the junior and senior divisions (ages 9 to 18 in 4-H years) participating in a County Public Speaking Tournament – or as viewed and judged by their individual County Extension Office if no County Tournament is available and receiving an average score of 78 or higher, are invited to compete at the State Public Speaking Tournament. Contact your local County Extension Office for more information on County Tournaments.
Resources
- Guidelines and evaluation sheets
- Resources to assist you in planning your demonstration or illustrated talk
New “Impromptu” Category
The Maine 4-H Public Speaking Committee is pleased to announce a new category at the State Tournament in April 2022!
Impromptu is a fun and exciting category that gives participants the opportunity to practice off-the-cuff presentations. Youth will be given three topics to choose from and then have several minutes to prepare a short presentation for an audience.
For this year, Impromptu will be a non-scored category. However, participants can expect to receive feedback from judges and peers. Youth who participate in-person at the Maine 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will also be able to participate in the Impromptu category as a bonus opportunity.
Watch a video to see an example of an Impromptu talk.
Past Tournaments
Questions About the 4-H Public Speaking Program?
Please contact Sheila Norman at 207.942.7396 or sheila.norman@maine.edu.
If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please call or email Sheila Norman at 207.951.7542 or sheila.norman@maine.edu to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 14 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be considered.