BY SAMARA PURVIS
4-H Extension Agent
This year Bradford County 4-H, in sponsorship with Florida Power and Light, is kicking off its first Public Speaking Contest for fourth and fifth grade. This is a fantastic opportunity for youth to share a voice on topics that are of interest to them.
At first sight, public speaking can be a scary thought. Some may fear speaking in front of a crowd or fear all the attention being centered on them. I want to take a moment to debunk fears and replace them with comforting facts.
Did you know that all of us take part in public speaking every day in some way large or small? For instance, have you sat with a group of friends and shared a conversation on last night’s episode of your favorite show? Have you recently applied for a job and sat with a manager answering the age-old request, “Tell me about yourself”? As you can see public speaking takes place in many ways.
4-H youth speak to judges about topics based on knowledge gained from their projects. The public speaking contest offers youth a chance to start laying the foundation to become a good speaker, so that in any situation, it is done with ease.
Generally, there are four main types of public speaking. Speaking to inform is when the speaker is giving information on a particular topic or issue. Speaking to persuade is when the speaker is trying to change the way the audience is thinking on a view. Think about a salesperson who walks up to you at the mall to sway you to try their product. Guess what? They are engaging in a form of public speaking!
Speaking of how to actuate aims to motivate people to act, this is powerful. A good example of this is when people speak about going to the polls to vote. The last type of public speaking entertains. Have you attended a birthday party or graduation party at some point and someone stood up to speak to the person being recognized and shared a funny story? This is an example of speaking to entertain.
Public speaking is a skill that, through practice, can be mastered with ease. The public speaking contest gives students an opportunity to learn how to be more effective in something they do every day.
The 4-H Public Speaking Contest takes place March 21 to 25 for classrooms that choose to participate. The county contest will take place March 26 at 6 p.m. at the extension office for overall county winners. Prices and awards are given for each classroom and county winners.
,To learn more about the 4-H FLP sponsored public speaking contest contact the Bradford County Extension Office at 904-966-6224.
