As shared last month, the Nebraska State 4-H Presentations Contest will partner with the State 4-H Public Speaking Contest to create a combined state-level communications event – this event will be called the Premier Communication Event and will be held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus on Friday, June 23, 2023. Below is detailed information regarding this event.
Overall Premier Communication Event Structure
The Premier Communication Event will be structured similarly to the Premier Animal Science Event (PASE). The event will include contest classes, including the areas of prepared speech, radio public service announcements (PSA’s), illustrated presentations, impromptu speech, and video communication.
Eligibility for Premier Communication Event
• Youth must be currently enrolled in 4-H to participate in the Premier Communication Event.
• Eligibility requirements for the following contest classes include:
• Prepared Speech, Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA), and Illustrated Presentation:
• Youth must receive a purple ribbon at their County Contest and be selected to participate in the Premier Communication Event in these classes.
• Counties may select up to five (5) contestants in each age division.
• Impromptu Speech and Video Communication:
• Open to all youth enrolled in 4-H.
• If eligible, youth may participate in all contest classes.
• Pre-registration is required for all participants and is completed by County Extension Offices. There is a $10 fee per entry for Prepared Speech, Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA), and Illustrated Presentation participants; no entry fee is required for Impromptu Speech and Video Communication for 2023.
Age Divisions
• Intermediate: ages 10-13 as of January 1 of the current year
• Senior: ages 14-18 as of January 1 of the current year
Team Entries
• While most contest classes are only for individuals, team entries are allowed in the Illustrated Presentation contest class. If team members are not in the same age division, they must compete in the age division of the oldest team member.
Suggested County Contest Timeframes
The following timeframes are suggested for selecting youth participants for the Premier Communication Event:
• Before May 31: hold county contests
• Early May – Early June: register participants in 4HOnline for Premier Communication Event
• Mid-June: submit PSA’s
• June 23: 4-H Communications Event
Using the information collected from counties in the Fall of 2021 regarding how County Presentations Contests have been held in recent years, we understand that counties will need to possibly change the time of the year when County Presentation Contests are held in order to advance eligible 4-H participants to the Premier Communication Event. With the Premier Communication Event eligibility requirements for participants in mind, two contest options are recommended:
1. Option 1: Hold a County Presentation Contest before May 31.
The new date will determine who is eligible to represent the county in time for the registration date. Depending on numbers of participants, the county contest could be held in-person or virtually.
2. Option 2: Combine the County Presentation Contest with the County Public Speaking Contest; hold the event before May 31.
Several counties already combine the two contests into one contest. The new date will determine who is eligible to represent the county in time for the registration date. Depending on numbers of participants, the county contest could be held in-person or virtually.
Please note: if holding a 4-H county contest during NSAA High School Speech Team season is of concern, the following rule provides exceptions for competitions sponsored by governmental agencies or organizations such as civic and service clubs:
NSAA High School Speech Team Rules: AR 6.1.2 – Participation Limited to School Group During the designated NSAA speech season, a student may not compete in non-high school competition. Exceptions are made for students participating in national speech tournaments, or in a national speech tournament qualifying competition, or in competition sponsored by governmental agencies or organizations such as civic and service clubs.
Coming Soon!
Because a County Contest must be held in order to select participants for several of the contest classes in the Premier Communication Event, several resources to support the delivery of a County Contest are being developed and will be made available by mid-December. These resources will include a recorded overview of the Premier Communication Event information, timelines, promotional summaries, communication tools, contest structure options, etc.
If you have any questions, please contact us at your convenience!
Premier Communication Event Team
Maria Walker, Lauren Stohlmann, Tracy Pracheil and Tracy Anderson