Audience appeal earns Washington County 4-H’ers awards at Iowa State Fair

Washington County 4-H members earned recognition recently as communicators at the Iowa State Fair.

The 4-H members compete in three categories of oral communication: educational presentations, working exhibits, extemporaneous speaking, and one category of visual communication.

In educational presentations, the 4-H members teach their audience about a topic they selected and researched.

In working exhibits, the exhibitors invite passers-by to try a skill they demonstrate.

In extemporaneous speaking, the 4-H members prepare a speech in 30 minutes and deliver it to an audience.

In poster communication, they convey a message visually.

Share-the-Fun participants perform vocal or instrumental music, dance, humorous skits, monologues and specialty acts. Their purpose is to entertain the audience while having fun.

Working Exhibits provide another learning opportunity for 4-H'ers. Many work situations require the ability to demonstrate a skill while instructing others who are learning the skill. The 4-H members practice this through giving Working Exhibits.

'Almost any time fairgoers come into the 4-H Exhibits Building they can learn from a 4 H member participating in a communications activity or be entertained by a performance,” said Mitchell Hoyer, program specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development and 4-H Exhibits Building superintendent.

Below is the list of Washington County 4-H'ers who presented in the Communications division, Share-the-Fun, and Working Exhibits along with their topic/title, recognition level and 4-H club.

1. Educational Presentations: Grace Conway, Knife Knowledge, Excellence, Limecreek Limelights.

2. Educational Presentations: Gracie Greiner, Antibiotic Use in Swine Production, Excellence, Franklin Cubs.

3. Educational Presentations: Tate Bombei, Deadwood, South Dakota, Merit, Limecreek Livewires.

4. Educational Presentations: Hannah Rodgers, Black Holes, Excellence, Green Acres.

5. Educational Presentations: Braydon Younge, Welding, Excellence, Limecreek Livewires.

6. Educational Presentations: Brynn Younge, Beyond Beef, Excellence, Limecreek Limelights.

7. Extemporaneous Speaking: Brynn Beenblossom, Merit, Washington Hustlers.

8. Extemporaneous Speaking: David Hora, Excellence, Jackson Jets.

9. Share The Fun: Logan McClellen, Short Story, Recognition, Kalona Klassics.

10. Share The Fun: Isadora Goode, Your Reality, Recognition, Kalona Klassics.

11. Share The Fun: Peighton Ford and Lauren Lukavsky, Shooting Star, Recognition, Limecreek Limelights.

12. Working Exhibits: Hannah Rodgers, Ellie Callahan and Paige Malichky, Butterfly Seed Bombs-pollination, Merit, Green Acres.

13. Working Exhibits: Anna Flynn and Grace Conger, Breakfast banana split with yogurt and fruit, Merit, Dutch Creek Flyers.

14. Working Exhibits: Emily Rinner and Maggie Rinner, Seed Germination, Merit, Crooked Creek.

15. Working Exhibits: Ally Rees and Bailey Rees, Making no-sew sock bunnies, Excellence, Green Acres.

For information on getting involved with the communications project area or joining 4-H, contact Amy Green at the ISU Extension and Outreach Washington County office at 319-653-4811.