4-H youth compete at Presentation Day

Young people from across Mendocino County gathered Saturday to share their passion and hone their public speaking skills at the annual Mendocino County 4-H Presentation Day. The event took place at Ukiah High School and was hosted by the Ukiah Shamrock 4-H Club.

The 4-H youth development program is structured around a “youth led” approach, allowing participants to build knowledge and experiences considering the topics they care about. The annual Presentation Day allows these young people to share their passion on their chosen topic and to build confidence in communication. 4-H alumni will often mention that they learned how to speak more effectively through their participation in the 4-H presentation program.

A variety of presentation formats are encouraged, from an educational display and talk to skits and cultural arts. This year, presentation topics included everything from “Keeping Your Rabbit Cool, Life or Death!,” and “Which Fish is Right for You?” to “A Great Warm up for a Great Wrestle!”

Participants were judged on timekeeping, following the guidelines, presentation technique and how effectively the information and ideas were presented. Participants who received a blue or gold award advance to the regional event, and may progress to the California 4-H State Presentation Day.

“Confidence in public speaking is such a fantastic skill, and is used in all parts of our lives from professional careers to day-to-day interactions. It takes a lot of commitment and courage for these young people to take part in Presentation Day and we're really excited to see what they have come up with,” commented Gina Weaver, Ukiah Shamrock 4-H Community Leader.

Volunteers from across the community supported this event as judges, donors, organizers and as project leaders and guides for the 4-H youth themselves. Breakfast bakes were donated by Mama's Café in Ukiah to support the participants and organizers.