Central Sierra: El Dorado County | 4-H | County Presentation Day

The 4-H Presentation Program is designed for 4-H members ages 9 to 18. The system of county, regional, and state 4-H presentations supports youth 4-H members (aged 9 to 18) in practicing and improving their public speaking skills.

4-H members ages 9 to 18 present at Presentation Events to receive feedback and an award.

• Each county organizes a County 4-H Presentation Event between January through last weekend in March.
• If you receive a Gold or Blue award at the county level, you are encouraged to present in the Regional 4-H Presentation Event between March through the April 19, 2025.
  • Presenters must give the same presentation, in the same category, in which they qualified at a County Presentation Event.
• If you receive a Gold or Blue award at Regional Presentations, you may present at the State 4-H Presentation Event at State Field Day in May. Presenters must give the same presentation, in the same category, in which they qualified at a Regional Presentation Event.

Presentation Manual

The 4-H Presentation Manual - Revised January 2021 is the standard guide for all 4-H presentations. The included evaluation forms are for use at all 4-H Presentation Days.

Presentation Manual Resource

Need help deciding on a topic or type of presentation? Use our new worksheet to help you brainstorm, narrow down your topics, and prepare your presentation.

Creating a Presentation Worksheet (fillable PDF)

2026 Impromptu Categories

Impromptu presentations give presenters a chance to speak on a topic they've had some time to prepare for, but they don’t receive the prompt until right before they present. At State 4-H Presentations, only Intermediate and Senior 4-H members can participate in Impromptu Speeches, so categories are only provided only for those age groups: 

Senior (14-19 years old)

• Democratic Process (Civic Engagement)
• Mindfulness - Emotional Intelligence (Healthy Living)
• Inspiring Others (Leadership)
• Earth and Space Science (STEM)

Intermediate (11-13 years old)

• My 4-H Club
• My Neighborhood

See the full descriptions of the 2026 Impromptu Categories

Prompts for impromptu speeches will be developed from these categories. Each presenter is assigned a random prompt, which can come from any one of the categories. Presenters are unable to choose a specific category.

Presenters are allowed a 5x7” note card with pre-written notes on potential categories only located on the front side of their index card, which after the prompt is given the presenter is allowed to write-on, study, or change at their discretion in order to prepare for their speech.

For further details and clarifications, please refer to the 4-H Presentation Manual.