4-H excels in preparing youth to speak confidently. The Illinois State 4-H Public Presentation Contest allows youth to highlight their exceptional presentation abilities in a supportive environment.
2025 Public Speaking Contest WINNERS
Formal Beginner
1st Place Champion: Disha Rai, McLean County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Kelly Hinderliter, Edwards County
3rd Place: Nivi Raj, DuPage County
Formal Advanced
1st Place Champion: Eden Henry, Scott County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Ella Douglas, Marion County
3rd Place: Myracle Johnson, LaSalle County
Illustrated Beginner
1st Place Champion: Avery Ax, McLean County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Emma Morgason, Bond County
3rd Place: Ruth Lewis, Tazewell County
Illustrated Advanced
1st Place Champion: Emery Miller, Shelby County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: William Ellingson, Boone County
3rd Place: Cecilia Ochs, Kane County
Original Works Individual
1st Place Champion: Heather Marquis, McLean County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Fiona Holtz, Dekalb County
3rd Place: Willard Rozanas, Boone County
Original Works Team
1st Place Champion: Gwen Heeley & Josie Heely, Marshall County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Hadley Williams & Holly Hays, White County
3rd Place: Asher Herrmann & Shiloh Hermann, Peoria County
Oral Interpretation Individual
1st Place Champion: Eden Sanborn, Champaign County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Gavin Schnall, Dupage County
3rd Place: Margaret Feldman, Grundy County
Oral Interpretation Team
1st Place Champion: Ben Kinner & Emily Kinner, Sangamon County
2nd Place Reserve Champion: Allison O’Neil & Samantha O’Neil, Menard County
3rd Place: Sabryna Borders & Trystan Borders, Union County
Youth looking for resources to help prepare for this contest can reference the following in Shop 4-H:
- Finding your Voice: Public Speaking made Easy (Public Speaking)
Exhibit Guidelines
There are 4 divisions in this year's contest. Each division offers options that the presenter may choose to make their presentation unique:
*This category will be broken down into the following classes by age:
- Beginner: 8-13 years of age
- Advanced: 14 years of age and up
Divisions
FORMAL SPEECH
Self-written | Notecards allowed | No props or costumes | Individual | 4-5 minutes (Beginner) 5-6 minutes (Advanced)
Formal Speeches share the presenter’s own unique view and are intended to motivate, persuade, or inform an audience and may include a call to action. Youth deliver a speech on any topic they wish.
ILLUSTRATED SPEECH
Self-written | Notes & visual aids allowed | Illustrations Required | Individual | 4-5 minutes (Beginner) 5-6 minutes (Advanced)
Illustrated Speeches may be used to inform, persuade, or motivate the audience while using a visual aid. Visual aids may be two dimensional, three-dimensional, or digital. Youth may include audience participation. Digital visual aids must be stored on a USB flash drive. Illustrated speeches may be:
- How-to demonstrations which show the audience how to do something.
- Object lessons which use objects as metaphors to share a message.
- Educational models where drawings or diagrams help explain a topic.
ORIGINAL WORKS
Self-written | Props and Costumes Allowed | Notecards allowed | Individual or 2-Person Team | Youth must provide printed manuscripts to judge | 4-6 minutes
Original works must be written entirely by the presenter. It may be presented as an individual or a two-person team entry. Printed manuscripts or transcripts must be submitted to the Judge on the day of event. Presentations may be designed for TV, radio, or online media and must be presented live. The types of entries could include:
- Prose and Short Stories
- Poetry
- Broadcast Media Program
- Theatrical
- Combined Program: Combine any number of the above elements along with other creative presentation forms
ORAL INTERPRETATION
Published work | Props and Costumes Allowed | Individual or 2-Person Team | Youth must provide printed manuscripts to judge | 4-6 minutes
Presentations in Oral Interpretation must be published works, and printed manuscripts or transcripts must be submitted to the Judge on the day of event. They may be presented as an individual or a two-person team entry. Materials can be read or memorized. The types of entries could include:
- Prose and Short Stories
- Poetry
- Theatrical Interpretation
- Published Speech Recitation: Excerpt from a spoken presentation delivered by a public figure, such as Winston Churchill, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Maya Angelou
- Combined Program: Combine any number of the above elements along with other creative presentation forms
- Finding your Voice: Public Speaking made Easy (Public Speaking)
Eligibility
Youth must be selected in a local county 4-H contest to advance to the state contest. Each county is allowed three entries in the state contest. The entries may come from any of the four divisions: Formal Speech, Illustrated Speech, Oral Interpretation, or Original Works. Each youth may advance to state in up to one individual and one team division. State deadline to be promoted to state level public speaking contest is April 5 County staff will provide details. To participate in this event you must be of 4-H age.
Sponsors
Thank you to Compeer Financial and the Illinois 4-H Foundation for sponsoring this event and supporting Illinois 4-H members.