Johnson County 4-H Members Attend 4-H Public Speaking Academy

Sixteen young people gathered at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo. to achieve the goal of further development in public speaking.

Missouri 4-H members from throughout the state participated in the 4-H Public Speaking Academy June 21-22.

McKenzie Plummer and Emma Allen, Johnson County 4-H members, participated in the workshop. Plummer and Allen are from Warrensburg and Knob Noster, respectively, and are both members of the Good Neighbors 4-H Club.

Patty Fisher, 4-H youth development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and 4-H volunteer Kathy Bondy coordinated the event for preteens ages 11 to 13. The goal of the conference is to learn the fundamentals of speech writing and gain confidence in personal presentation.

"A combination of activities helped participants identify the skills necessary to share an important thought, present a prepared speech and be successful in an interview." Fisher said in a news release. "Youth wrote a 4-H Elevator Speech, a clear. brief message or 'commercial' about their 4-H experience. This speech was later presented to the parents and peers who gathered at the conclusion of the event. In addition, delegates developed team-building skills and experience life on a university campus."

Instructors were University of Missouri Extension faculty and volunteers.