State 4-H Presentation Contest

What Is The State 4-H Presentation Contest?

The State 4-H Presentation Contest is designed to provide 4-H members with an opportunity to communicate creatively and showcase their development of skills that are essential to communicating productively, while nurturing the spark inside that drives them to share information and stories in meaningful ways.

Presentation Contest Types

There are three (3) different types of presentations that can be submitted:

• Visual Presentation
• PowerPoint/Digital Presentation
• Public Speaking

View strong examples from previous state level participants at the bottom of the page.

Who

Any current 4-H youth (age 8 by June 30, 2024 up to age 21 by September 30, 2025) may enter regardless of his/her project enrollment.

Age Divisions

There are three (3) age divisions:

• Junior – 4-H members age 8 to 10 by June 30, 2024.
• Intermediate – 4-H members age 11 to 13 by June 30, 2024.
• Senior – 4-H members age 14 by June 30, 2024 up to 21 as of September 30, 2025.

Registration

Registration will open on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. and will close on Thursday May 1st, 2025 at 11:55 p.m. All participants must register and electronically submit their entry by completing the State 4-H Presentation Contest event registration in ZSuite no later than Thursday May 1st, 2025.

Registration will be handled through the 4-H ZSuite Online System.

Register Here (4-H ZSuite)

View All WVU 4-H State Contests

Categories

Public Speaking Presentations will not be categorized but all Visual Presentations and PowerPoint/Digital Presentations should be classified in one of the following categories:

1. Horse
2. Large Animal (includes the following types: beef, dairy, sheep, goats, etc.)
3. Small Animal (includes the following types: cats, dogs, poultry, small pets, etc.)
4. Veterinary Science
5. Plant Science and Horticulture (includes gardening, cultivated agricultural and horticultural plants and crops)
6. Mechanical Science and Technology (includes the following types: bicycle, tractors, robotics, computers, small engines, etc.)
7. Natural Resources and Environment (includes the following types: wild flowers, wild birds, forestry, recycling, entomology, etc.)
8. Leadership and Citizenship (includes personal development, leadership, community development, etc.)
9. Leisure and Recreation (includes the following types: hiking, recreation, games, sports, etc.)
10. Communication and Expressive Arts (includes the following types: theater arts, creative arts, crafts, photography, music, etc.)
11. Safety and Healthy Living (includes the following types: first aid, healthy choices, etc.)
12. Family Sciences (includes the following types: child development, financial education, etc.)
13. Clothing (includes construction, selection, wardrobe construction, etc.)
14. Foods and Nutrition
15. Career and Workforce Development
16. 4-H Promotion—Camp (includes camping overall or a specific camp—county, regional, or state; weekend, overnight, or day camps)
17. 4-H Promotion—Club and Special Interest Programs (includes community clubs, after school clubs, and specialty programs, like shooting sports, robotics, livestock, photography, and teen leadership)
18. 4-H Promotion—General (includes presentations intended to promote 4-H overall)
19. School Presentations (includes science and social studies fair projects, etc.)
20. First Lego League Innovation Project*
21. West Virginia History
22. Landmarks and Tourist Attractions
23. Music (includes band, strings, choir, etc.)
24. Miscellaneous

Rules

• In each presentation category, any individual orteam receiving at least a blue-ribbon score (90 to 100 points out of 100 on the scoring rubrics) at the county contest will be eligible to participate in the state contest. It is the county’s discretion to send winning presentations to the state level.
• Visual Presentations and PowerPoint/Digital Presentations can be presented as a team. Teams can consist from two to four youth. All members must be from the same age division.
  • Public Speaking Presentations must be given individually.
  • *NOTE: The First LEGO League Innovation Project Category will follow the policies of FLL for size and team member requirements. This will allow team size to range from 2-10 youth, spanning multiple age divisions.
• A 4-H member may participate in one or all 3 State 4-H Presentation Expo Contests. However, the maximum is one individual and one team presentation for each 4-H member in Visual and PowerPoint/Digital presentations, and one Public Speaking Presentation. As such, participating in more than one category within a single contest IS permitted within a given year ONLY if the 4-H member is presenting as an individual and as part of a team.
• 4-H members may be state (Gold Ribbon) winners twice in each respective category and each age division—once as an individual, and once as a member of a team. (For example, a 4-H member who has received a Gold Ribbon for a visual presentation in the Junior Individual Horse category is not eligible to win a Gold Ribbon in the Junior Individual Horse visual presentation category in subsequent years. But they are eligible to receive a Gold Ribbon for a visual presentation in the Junior TEAM Horse category.)

Procedures

Visual Presentation Contest

• The presentation may be a demonstration or illustrated talk pertaining to the subject of the category entered. Each contestant is responsible for providing his/her own introduction.
• Visuals, posters, models, or charts used must be easily seen and convey a message effectively.
• Electronic projected visuals (e.g. videos, PowerPoint, etc.) may not be used in Visual Presentations.
• If note cards are used, they must be small (no larger than 3” x 5”) and should not be read.
• Reference to product brand names should be avoided.

PowerPoint/Digital Presentation Contest

• Presentation must be the original work of the contestant(s).
• Each contestant or team is responsible for providing their own introduction.
• If note cards are used, they must be small (no larger than 3” x 5”) and should not be read.
• Reference to product brand names should be avoided.

Public Speaking Contest

• No visuals of any sort may be used.
• Speeches must be the original work of the speaker.
• If note cards are used, they must be small (no larger than 3” x 5”) and should not be read.

Time Requirement

• Junior/Intermediate Divisions – All Junior and Intermediate presentations must be a minimum of 3 minutes in length.
• Senior Division – All Senior presentations must be a minimum of 5 minutes in length.
• All Divisions – All divisions have a 10-minute maximum. If time limit is exceeded, only the first 10 minutes will be shown. A penalty for not meeting the minimum time requirement will be noted on the scoring rubric.

Scoring and Awards

• All eligible county-level participants who wish to participate at the state level must record their presentation, upload their video to YouTube to receive a link (See How To Guide), and submit a ZSuite Event Registration by May 1, 2025. Each member of a team presentation is required to register for the “2025 State 4-H Presentation Expo” event in ZSuite.
• All Public Speaking, Visual, PowerPoint/Digital presentations submitted for the state level contest will be judged using a rubric totaling 100 points across 3 categories (See score sheets and rubrics for more detail):

1. Speaker - Appearance, Voice, Eye Contact, Use of Grammar, Mannerisms (25 points)
2. Presentation - Introduction, Organization of Material, Delivery, Conclusion, Time Limit (50 points)
3. Subject Matter - Originality, Understanding of Subject, Suitability of Topic, Information, Sources of Information (25 points)

• Gold: Ribbons will be awarded to all participants who score 95 or above.
• Blue: Ribbons will be awarded to all participants who score 90-94 points.
• Red: Ribbons will be awarded to all participants who score 80-89 points.
• White: Ribbons will be awarded to all participants who score 70-79 points.
• Green: Ribbons will be awarded to all participants who score below 70 points.

Timeline for Contest

• Counties or regions are responsible for arranging to judge presentations or hold contests prior to May 1, 2025.
• All eligible county-level participants who wish to participate at the state level must record their presentation, upload their video to YouTube to receive a link (See How To Guide), and submit a “2025 State 4-H Presentation Expo” ZSuite registration up to May 1, 2025. Each member of a team presentation is required to register for the “2025 State 4-H Presentation Expo” event in ZSuite.
• Judging of presentations on the state level will occur between May 1 through June 3, 2025.
• State-level participants will be notified of their results no later than June 13, 2025.
• Recognition for state-level participants will occur during the State Fair of West Virginia, August 7-16, 2025.

Past Presentation Expo Contest Winner Stories

Meet the Presenters: Jefferson County 4-H'ers Lucy Field & Brynlea Shade - 2021 Presentation Expo Gold Ribbon Winners

Jefferson County 4-H'ers, Lucy Field and Brynlea Shade, 10, of the Summit Point Busy Bees 4-H Club make up the dynamic duo of the Best Friends Bake Episode 9: Jackpot Drop Cookies visual presentation.

Lucy and Brynlea decided the participate in the 2021 State 4-H Presentation Expo because they wanted to see how their visual presentation skills would do against a wider range of people. They also wanted to get better at speaking for a camera.

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Meet the Presenter: Pendleton County 4-H'er Kallie Keyser - 2021 Presentation Expo Gold Ribbon Winner

Kallie Keyser, 8, is a first year 4-H'er from Pendleton County and is a member of the Upper Tract Producers 4-H Club.

The title of her Visual Presentation for the 2021 State 4-H Presentation Expo is Ready, Set, Show! She chose this presentation topic because she lives with her family on a farm and she loves sheep! She enjoys raising and showing them. Kallie and her sister have been showing sheep at jackpot shows this summer and are having so much fun making memories and meeting new friends! They are also looking forward to going to the fair in August! Kallie encourages her friends, "to get ready, get set, and go show some sheep!!"

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Meet the Presenter: Jefferson County 4-H'er Julie Fincham - 2021 Presentation Expo Gold Ribbon Winner

She has participated in the the presentation contest at the club level for 6 years, but this is the first year she has submitted an entry to her county and state-level contests. She enjoys the opportunity to practice her public speaking skills while participating in a club activity.

The title of her presentation is: West Virginia Festivals. When asked why she choose to do a presentation on this topic, she said "I was really interested in the festivals, and I wanted to learn more about them because I hope to visit some of them." In her presentation, she discusses 5 famous festivals known throughout our state, including:

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