Communication Arts

1. Participants must be enrolled 4-H members. Enrollment is verified in 4honline.
2. No live animals of any type will be allowed in the district/state 4-H Communication Arts events for any of the categories.
3. No guns or ammunition should be brought as props for any category in the Communication Art events.
4. The topic, content and language of your speech should be appropriate for an audience with an age range of 5 to 85. Topics, language and content that may be appropriate for you may not be appropriate for the youngest members of the audience. When preparing your selection, remember that the appropriateness of the piece will be part of the judging process. If you have questions about the appropriateness of your topic, check with the Extension agent in your county prior to the event.
5. If a religious reading or topic is used, it should remain neutral and avoid influencing the religious beliefs of your audience. A reading or presentation that specifically supports one religion, such as Christianity, not only has religious purpose, but it has the obvious effect of promoting one religion versus others and can create a barrier for participation among other groups. If you have questions regarding the reading or presentation of a religious text, check with the Extension agent in your county prior to the event.
6. Questions may be asked by the judges as part of the evaluation in some categories.
7. A participant may enter a maximum of two presentations in the district or state event (if qualified).
8. General times for presentations unless otherwise specified: junior division is two to 12 minutes; senior division is four to 12 minutes.
9. Individual and team presentations in the same category will be judged and given awards separately.
10. Teams are always two participants except in dramatic presentations. Two to four youth may team to do dramatic presentations. While we suggest that team members be in the same age division, having a junior with a senior is permissible. If all team members are not in the same age division, they will compete in the senior division. However, the team members are not eligible to advance beyond district (no EYC trip or no state competition).
11. Individuals and teams will be evaluated on the same criteria, except teams must have significant participation from both (all) members.

Costumes in Drama and Mass Media (broadcasting-television and commercial) categories will be part of the official scoring or evaluation. For all other categories, participants should dress the part for which they are presenting. If the presentation does not specifically call for a costume, participants should be dressed neatly and appropriately for the event with a 4-H Communication Arts T-shirt or a shirt/blouse with the 4-H emblem prominently displayed on the front. Dark jeans/slacks/skirts are recommended.

Demonstrations are presentations that show how to do something, how to make something or how something works and may display a finished
product. This can include food demonstrations and/or general demonstrations. When choosing a topic, remember you will demonstrate “live” in front of the judges and an audience.

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• Senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.
  • Time starts with the first words and ends when the presenter asks for questions.

PowerPoint or other electronic “posters” are not permitted.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two. Each team member must have a speaking role.

Illustrated talks are similar to demonstrations in that they involve visual aids. Charts, posters, figures or real objects are used to explain an idea or procedure. The presenter explains how something works or how to do something but does not show the working object or demonstrate the process during the presentation.

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• Senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.
  • Time starts with the first words and ends when the presenter asks for questions.

Charts and posters may be freehand or in digital format. PowerPoint or other electronic “posters” are permitted.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two. Each team member must have a speaking role.

A Prepared Speech is composed by the presenter. Quotations may be included; however, they should not be more than 10% of a speech. Notes may be used for reference, but reading from notes is discouraged. Singing, visuals or costumes are not permitted.

Time limits:

• Junior division participants two to 12 minutes
• Senior division participants four to 12 minutes

An Impromptu Speech is a short presentation without advanced preparation from a topic drawn by the participants when they enter the room.

Time limits:

• Junior division participants one to five minutes
• Senior division participants two to five minutes

After participants receive their topic, they are given a note card and have 15 minutes to prepare. Topics will be on 4-H themes in which the topic only is provided or will be a news/magazine article provided at the time of the draw. Different age divisions may have different topics.

Judges will not ask public questions.

No charts, props or other visual aids are permitted.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual. No teams are allowed.

Interpretive readings are oral presentations of works taken from any published source, including poetry, fiction, children’s literature, news articles, speeches, letters and journals. Interpretive readings are readings, not memorized speeches. The presenter should be familiar with the piece but present it as being read. The purpose of the interpretive reading is to communicate the author’s thoughts expressively through voice. Gestures and actions should be kept to a minimum.

The presentation begins with a brief introduction about the selection and includes the source and the author. The introduction may explain the reason for the selection. The reading is presented with a script in hand. This requires keeping some eye contact with the audience and evoking a mood and vocal expression. A summary or conclusion is not necessary. All Interpretative readings, whether humorous or serious, will be judged together.

When selecting your reading, please consider that some topics acceptable for high school competitions are not appropriate for 4-H audiences (age 5 to 85).

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.

Judges will not ask public questions.

Visual aids and props are not permitted.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two. Each team member must have a speaking role.

Dramatic presentations are based on an original or published piece performed in a creative, inspiring or thought-provoking manner. The presenter combines words and actions to put across the material to entertain or educate the audience, or both. The presentation begins with a brief introduction to set the stage for the performance. The introduction should include the source and author of the material, and an explanation of why it was selected. Presenters may write their own material or use published material that is designed for dramatic presentation by one person or a team of four or fewer. A costume, makeup or props are part of the performance and will be part of the evaluation. A summary or conclusion is not necessary. Notes are allowed but should not distract from the performance.

An individual or team of not more than four may do a dramatic presentation.

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• Senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.

Judges will not ask public questions.

Visual aids, props or costumes are permitted and encouraged.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two to four. Each team member must have a speaking role.

Commercials are presentations to convince an audience to buy an idea or product or join 4-H. The product may be real or fictional. Participants can use posters, flip charts, diagrams or objects. Brand names must be concealed. Commercials must include an introduction or opening statement, a body and a closing statement.

Time Limits
Commercials are one to four minutes for all ages.

Broadcasting presenters prepare a radio or television segment that may be read from a script. The broadcast may be a newscast with four to five items of about 30 to 45 seconds each or a more in-depth story addressing a topic.

Participants introduce themselves in the following manner: “This is ________________ reporting.”

Radio presentations will be given behind a screen to simulate they are from a radio.

Time Limits

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• Senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.

Either broadcasting or commercials may be a 4-H promotion topic.

Judges will not ask public questions.

Visual aids, props or costumes are permitted and encouraged for non-radio presentations.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two. Each team member must have a speaking role.

Participants may create a video, website or presentation from software of their choice on any topic. Participants should introduce their presentation. The introduction may include the procedure used, what they learned, and why the topics and program was used.

If websites designed require special plug-ins, include links to download them. Participants will be judged on content, appearance and design, technical performance and the presentation of their website.

Participants creating a video or other software presentation may use their choice of original or public domain music. The introduction may include a description of video production techniques. The majority of video footage or still photography must be the work of the presenters. Participants will be judged on creativity, flow of the video or presentation, technical performance and presentation of the product.

Time Limits

• Junior participants’ presentations must be two to 12 minutes in length
• Senior participants’ presentations must be four to 12 minutes in length.
  • Time starts with the first words and ends when the presenter asks for questions.

Judges will ask public questions.

A 4-H member may enter once in this category as an individual or in a team of two. Each team member must have a speaking role.

This is a noncompetitive category designed to provide an opportunity for Cloverbud members to experience public presentations. They may do a recitation or a short presentation similar to the other categories for 4-H members with no minimum time limit. All presenters will receive equal recognition.

Recitations provide young participants with an opportunity to make presentations without the task of finding or writing material. Recitation of the 4-H Pledge, Pledge of Allegiance or other simple verse is appropriate.

This category will not be offered at the state event.

You will be creating a business pitch which is a presentation by one or more people to an investor or group of investors. The first step in planning your business pitch is knowing your product or your business you are going to promote. Begin by thinking of what makes your product or business unique.

If you can answer these questions, you are on your way:

• What is your product or business?
• Why would a consumer want your product?
• How is your product different than others similar on the market?
• What is the cost of making your product versus selling cost (cost ration)?
• (For Teens) What are ways you would market your product?

When thinking about developing your pitch, think of these questions. Your audience will be thinking about and you should have the answer before they need to ask the question.

What IS it? What is it made of? What does it do? Be specific! Specific does NOT mean technical. In other words, “Our product is a battery-powered car that seats two people.” What your product is and does in the first sentence, not the cutesy name you’ve given to it.

What are the consumer pain points? Pain points are perceived problems with technologies, designs, interfaces, process, practices, industries, cities, transportation, and anything else that impacts people’s work or life. The term is used to by strategists, business analysts and marketers as a mean of identifying things that people want fixed.

Some of the questions to understand your consumer pain points are:

• Why would anybody want this?
• How much do they want it?
• Would they change their behavior?

Often the most compelling part of the conversation. If you capture them with your narrative of the problem you’re going to solve, they’re engaged. It’s like a video game – you’ve beaten the first boss; you’ve made it to the next level because now they’re engaged – they’re listening.

What else is out there? If it’s such a problem, why hasn’t anyone else solved it? What are the current solutions to the problem? Who is your competition? How do you know? If other people failed, why won’t you fail? What’s different about yours? If others have succeeded, how is yours better?

How are you going to make money? What does is cost to make your product? What is it worth? What is your sale price? Cost ratio is figuring out the cost of making your product and the actual sale price. You will want to be sure you are making a profit and how you figured the profit.

For Senior Division Only
How are you getting your product out to the consumers? How will you get the consumer’s attention? Where will consumers learn about your product? Where can they purchase your product? Think about different avenues for marketing and how to be known and sell your product to the consumers. Think in depth, don’t just say the internet or social media. How do consumers interested in your product find out about it?

The pitch will be the introduction to your product/business. Within the pitch you will present the business with this format:

• Introduction (Attention getter)
• Hook
• Consumer Need
• Product Description
• Cost Ratio and Competitors
• Marketing (Seniors/Teens)

Format of presentation: Using your product and visual aids such as pictures, charts, posters, flannel boards, or additional models.

• Start your pitch with the introduction. Make this your introduction relevant but short that will grab your audience’s attention.
• Once you have the audience attention then get the hook. Your hook is a small offering to leave your audience wanting more. Hooks can:
  • Be surprising! Catch the audience off guard.
  • Announce new information
  • Be emotional or exclamatory
  • Promise a benefit or solution
• Discuss your product. Where you came up with the idea? What was the consumer need you are filling? How did you make it?
• Cost ratio. Discuss how much it costs to make one of your products. What would you value and sell your product for? What is the profit margin?
• Seniors Division: How you would market to reach the consumer who would buy your product? Why are these the best avenues to market your product? Have an example of what your business logo would look like.

Pitch Parts

1. Introduction
   • Attention-getter
   • Hook
2. Body
   • Consumer Needs
   • Solution
   • Product
     • About
     • Competitors
   • Cost
     • Production Cost
     • Sale Cost
     • Competitors Cost
   • Marketing Plan (Seniors/Teens)
     • Target Consumers
     • Avenues to Reach those Consumers
3. Conclusion
   • Ending Statement
   • Thank you
4. Ask for questions

• Get to the point fast. Attention spans are getting shorter and short so don’t waste time with preambles. Give them an overview of your completing proposition quickly. You will be more like to capture and hold your listener’s attention at the start of your pitch.
• Establish the need. Give your audience a definite, concise statement of the problems with a visual aid. Show how that need affects people and then follow up with your solution to address that need.
• Have fun with your product and presentation.
• Make the pitch unique and memorable.
• Have different stages of your products in pictures or models for visuals for the audience.
• Use fun colors.
• Charts are good visuals of the cost ratios.
• Think of the goals for your product and how it would be a business. Having a logo will help with the visuals and help the audience remember you.
• Watch ABC hit show Shark Tank for ideas of what business owners do for their pitch to business professionals.

Juniors/Pre-Teens

• Presentation must be between 2-12 minutes long.
• Must have at least 1 prototype of your product to share with the audience.
• Must present on all areas previously discussed in publication.
• Does not need a business title, can present on just a product idea.
• All images and topics must be 4-H appropriate. Contestants should seek guidance from their 4-H leaders or local Extension staff if they need help determining whether content is 4-H appropriate.

Seniors/Teens

• Presentation must be between 5-15 minutes long.
• Must have at least 1 prototype of your product to share with the audience.
• Must present on all areas previously discussed in publication.
• Must have a business name along with the product.
• All images and topics must be 4-H appropriate. Contestants should seek guidance from their 4-H leaders or local Extension staff if they need help determining whether content is 4-H appropriate.

Specific criteria and point value may vary with the category to provide an appropriate evaluation. All aspects of preparing your presentation are important. However, a larger value always will be placed on the delivery and presentation.