District 201V6 Junior Public Speaking program

A little about this program...

This program has been running successfully since 2007 in the 201V6 District. In 2016 it became a Multiple District project. Each year, more and more Schools, Clubs and Districts are becoming involved. Students really enjoy the program and reap the benefits for years to come. Teachers are enjoying the program and making it part of their class curriculum as it incorporates story writing, research, speaking in front of the class, etc.

We have seen quiet, shy students, too timid to speak...stand up and deliver a speech that has simply blown judges away and they have gone on to win the Competition. It’s amazing what this program can do for the kids that participate - not to mention the benefits that Club members receive as well.

Get involved with the YOUTH in your community…YOU’LL reap the benefits as much as they will!

What is the aim of this program?

To give students in Primary Schools the chance to develop their ability to speak in public. This competition is run for primary students in Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6.

Why should Lions Clubs & Schools be involved?

Similar programs often do not exist in our Primary Schools or are difficult for them to access. This is the case for most isolated schools.
Young students have an abundance of enthusiasm and self-confidence. This program aims to build on this before they reach teenage years.
All young students need to build such skills in an environment which encourages them to participate
It’s a great way for schools to get involved with their local Lions Clubs and for Lions Club to be involved with their local schools and Community.

Junior Public Speaking Journey – Lisa Mitchell

Lisa participated in the Junior Public Speaking competition at East Loddon Lions Club when it began in 2007 - she was in Year 3 and her topic was “My Favourite Holiday…” Lisa was selected as our club representative. Lisa then competed at an interclub competition against Pyramid Hill Lions Club and was again chosen as the most outstanding speaker.

Lisa went on to win 3 out of the next 4 years in her JPS journey, she also represented East Loddon at the Region finals in 2008, Club Representative in 2009 and District Final in 2010.

This is Lisa’s story….

The Lions Junior Public Speaking (JPS) competition is a fantastic program which provides primary school students with the opportunity to develop and refine their writing skills, ability to speak in front of a crowd and respond to impromptu questions.

I first began my JPS journey at age 9 in year 3 (2007), I continued to participate in the annual program all the way through until my final year in year 6 (2010). Throughout my time in the Lions JPS program, I was very fortunate to have a series of succusses and represent the East Loddon Lions Club at the interschool, regional & district levels of the competition.

The Lions JPS program was an important part of my development throughout my early schooling years and had a significant impact on my confidence leading into secondary school. I went on to participate in the Lions Youth of the Year in year 11 (2015) and was awarded as the winner of the public speaking component. The Lions JPS program gave me the necessary skills to deliver a range presentation to my peers throughout my secondary schooling years, VCE and university.

The ability to speak publicly is an important life skill that I learned throughout my journey in the Lions JPS program. Since leaving school I have used my public speaking skills on a regular basis. I have instructed a range of group fitness classes, delivered training sessions in a high-performance sporting environment and pitched ideas to colleagues in meetings. I am now in my final year in a Master of Teaching (Secondary). I sincerely believe that my experiences throughout the Lions JPS program have played a significant role in my ability to now confidently teach students.

What skills do Student Develop through this program?

Students learn to look for information using a number of source – this may include books, the internet or speaking with family, friends and community members;
They expand their knowledge and understanding of a particular topic;
They gain an ability to organise their thoughts and feelings and then confidently express them to others

How does the program work?

There are two parts to the program - the main part being the Prepared Speeches. This is for all students. The second part of the program is a Short Preparation Speech and is for years 5 & 6 students ONLY at Club, Zone/Region & District Level.

Prepared Speeches - Students are given a topic and are asked to prepare a speech. Years 3-4 are asked to prepare a 3 minute speech and Year 5-6 are asked to prepare a 4 minute speech. The topic for the prepared speeches is chosen by the District Chairperson.

Short Preparation Speech - As part of the Club, Regional & District level competitions – students in year 5-6 are also given a Short Preparation Speech. They are given a topic and 10 minutes to prepare a 1 minute response to this topic. This has been included at Club, Zone/Regional & District levels, as an added challenge for students who have already shown that they are skilful at preparing and delivering a prepared speech.

There are 4 levels to the competition

School Level Competition – held at each participating school in a Lions area. Run by a club chairperson in conjunction with the school.

Club Level Competition – held at individual Clubs, as part of a dinner meeting or as a separate event. Students representing their individual school/s will compete to become Club Representative.

Zone/Regional Competition – representatives chosen at Cub level will compete within their Zone/Region.

District Competition – winners from the Zone/Regional competition will compete at District Level, at a central location in the District.

Rules of the Competition

As with any competition, there are some rules to follow, so that everyone has the same opportunity.

Presentation of Speeches

Students should present their speeches from the floor or stage without the use of:

- NO props, photo’s or slideshows during their speech

- NO lectern - this allows for judges to see the student clearly - we encourage students to use palm cards instead of large sheets of paper.

- MICROPHONES are allowed to be used. As not all schools/Clubs have microphones it is not necessary, if you have access to one, use it. Part of learning to speak to a group, either small or large, is to be able to project your voice so that you can be heard. Students should be encouraged to speak in a loud, clear voice when presenting their speech.
Use of a microphone is at the discretion of the Club, Region or District Chairperson.

Judging Criteria

Students will be judged on the following:

CONTENT
Beginning – begins in an interesting way, grabs attention, has main points
Central Theme evident and logical sequence developed
Research – supports opinions with facts and/or examples
Language – Appropriate use of language – clear, correct sentences, words well chosen, informative
Ending – strong, summary of main points, as close to time as possible.

DELIVERY
Visual – Confidence, stance, unobtrusive use of notes
Use of gestures to convey message
Voice – clear, varied expression, pace, projection, etc
Engage Audience

WHAT TO DO NOW?

If you are interested in finding out more about how to run this program in your club or school – contact the District Chairman below…

District 201 V6 Junior Public Speaking Chairman

Lion Margaret Poels

Mobile: 0417 139 828

Email: lionsjuniorpublicspeaking@gmail.com

V6 Club Resources

Letter to Clubs (who haven't started the program yet) Letter to Club Presidents, Secretary, Zone Chairpersons

Junior Public Speaking - What's it all about? V6 Junior Public Speaking - What's it All About?

Program Flyer for Clubs JPS Trifold Brochure - Club Info

Program Flyer for use by Clubs to give to schools JPS Trifold Brochure - School Info

Junior Public Speaking Club Chairperson Handbook V6 JPS CLUB HANDBOOK 2022

Annual Club Registration Form V6 JPS Club Registration Form 2022

School Level

Program Flyer for use by Clubs to give to schools JPS Trifold Brochure - School Info

Current School Information Brochure JPS School Information 20222

Student Entry Form V6 JPS Student Entry Form 2022 (PDF)

School Level Competition Score Sheet V6 JPS Score Sheet - School Level

School Level Timekeeper Sheet V6 School Level Timekeeper Sheet

School Level Certificate (editable word document) V6 JPS School Level Certificates (EDITABLE WORD DOCUMENT)

School Level Winners Advisory Form (to be used ONLY if Club Chairperson/Representative cannot physically attend the school level Event) V6 JPS School Level Winners Advisory Form (FILLABLE)