4-H Communication and Marketing

This is a new project group in Williamson County 4-H this year and we would love to have you join us! Communication skills are valuable tools to have that will serve to help you build better relationships, collaborate with team members and deliver your ideas to others. Whether you use words, images or displays, you will gain practical experience in finding your voice…and have fun at the same time. This group is open to 4th-12th grade students and meets October-March. Students must join at the beginning of the year, please join the “interest list” on the registration form to hear about other opportunities.

Public Speaking 4th-12th grade, Oct-Jan – Participants learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas and then learn how to present them effectively in front of an audience. Students gain confidence in their ability, learn how to manage nervousness and how to share their unique perspective to others. Students present their speeches in smaller forums for practice and then are welcome to participate in the Williamson County Speech contest in January.

Poster – 4th-12th grade, Dec-Jan – Participants learn to use their creative skills to develop a them and prepare a poster that communicates the value of 4-H or some aspect of their 4-H project work. This class will share tools with students who are looking to design their poster digitally for submission to a poster design contest in January.

Demonstration – 4^th -12^th Grade, Jan-March – Students learn the skill of demonstrating “how to” do something using their spoken words, slides/posters and a few props. This is a fun way to learn how to share a hobby, interest or skill set while learning to use multiple tools to make your communication effective. A County contest is conducted in March with finalists in 4th-5th grade having the opportunity to compete in a Regional contest.

6th-12th grade participants will have an opportunity to turn their demonstration into a “how to” video to post on YouTube in a County contest.

Interactive Exhibit 6th-12th grade, Jan – Mar – Participants learn to identify key elements of creating a visual display that draws their audience to them to ask questions about their presentation. Students are interviewed about their display and asked questions to give them the opportunity to promote their project, hobby or special interest.

Extemporaneous Speaking 4th-12th grade, Mar-May – Participants will learn to quickly organize their thoughts and ideas into a format that will allow them to speak purposefully and passionately about an assigned topic. The skills from this exercise builds confidence in speakers when presented with an opportunity to share their thoughts without advance preparation. A county contest will be conducted in May.

Doug Berny

Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development