HONEY BROOK, Pa. — On Wednesday, August 7th, four local 4-H youth, from Windy Hollow 4-H Club from West Caln, gathered at the 4-H Romano Center to compete in the 2019 Chester County 4-H Public Speaking Contest.
Public speaking is a crucial life skill for youth to learn and practice. At the contest youth gave prepared speeches on a topic of their choosing with an optional presentation. Contestants proudly presented their speeches to an audience of other 4-H members and families. Youth were judged on their preparedness, the information they provided, and speaking skills.
A total of four youth competed in the contest, with 2 individual speeches and one group speech. Suzanna Angstadt, 18, gave an informative presentation accompanied by a PowerPoint discussing Herbal Equine Medicine Alternatives. Mary Wirtel, 15, and Brianna Geyer, 17, gave a team speech on Equine Farriers and the shoeing process. The last contestant, Caitlyn Geyer, 17, spoke about Equine Driving.
All contestants did a fantastic job of sharing their equine related knowledge with the audience and had a great experience. 4-Hers Suzanna Angstadt says, “It was an exceptional opportunity to exercise my public speaking skills and to inform a group of people about a subject I am passionate about”.
A Public Speaking Contest will be held again during the 2020 Chester County 4-H Fair for any youth interested.
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a community of more than 6 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Penn State Extension 4-H youth development educators in all 67 counties throughout the commonwealth administer local 4-H programs through non-formal education and outreach. To find your local program, visit the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h.
—Toni Stuetz, Penn State Extension Chester County