NORWICH – Youth in Chenango County’s 4-H Program tested their knowledge and presentation skills Saturday during one of the program’s biggest annual events, the 4-H Public Presentations.

The 4-H presentations are an opportunity for 4-H members to practice their abilities in public speaking and arrangement in front of an audience during a countywide contest. Members learn how to research a topic and present what they learned to a panel of adult judges, who then discuss with them how to better improve their presentation skills for the following year.

Top presenters in this contest move on to a regional competition, along with the highest scoring presenters from Broome, Tioga, Deleware and Otsego counties. It’s a nerve-racking process for 4-H members, but the skills developed are beneficial to their future, said 4-H Community Educator Jennifer Sienko.

“This is a learning process for them,” she explained, highlighting the value of public speaking. “It’s really setting them up for success … Especially in today’s job market, you’ve got to have an edge in interviews.”