Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking
Every 4-H member in Hancock County is encouraged to participate in Public Speaking! Youth choose a topic of their choice and then practice the important life skill of public speaking by giving presentations to their clubs, community, and at the county and state tournaments.

When preparing for a 4-H Presentation, youth learn how to:
- Research a subject
- Organize their ideas
- Share their knowledge and passion with others
- Create and use visuals to support their presentation
When youth carry out a public speaking presentation, they demonstrate advanced skills and a deeper understanding of what they learned.
“My favorite part of 4-H Public Speaking is pushing myself out of my comfort zone”
– Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking Participant
Types of Presentations
- Demonstration: In a 4-H demonstration, the youth shows how to do something while telling how it’s done. It is called a “show how” and “tell how” presentation. The work is performed before your eyes and there is a finished product at the end.
- Illustrated Talk: In a 4-H illustrated talk, the youth gives information about a subject and uses visuals to explain the subject. Unlike a demonstration, the work is not performed before your eyes and there is not a finished product as a result of the presentation.
- Team Demonstration/Team Illustrated Talk: As above, limit of two team members. Each teams’ members (limit of two) must be from the same age division.
Planning your Public Speaking Presentation
Visit the Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Website for resources such as:
- Preparation Materials: Key Elements of Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks
- Sample youth presentations
- Guidelines & Evaluation Criteria
- Information about the Maine 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament
Hancock County Public Speaking Tournament
The 2021 Public Speaking Tournament is now over. Stay tuned for 2022!