JERSEY JUNIOR PUBLIC PRESENTATION CONTEST ENTRIES DUE JUNE 1

Reynoldsburg, OH, March 22, 2010—June 1 is the deadline for Jersey youth to enter the fifth edition of the national Jersey youth presentation competition, TalkJersey.  

All AJCA junior or lifetime members, ages 7 through 20 as of January 1, 2010, are eligible to enter the live public speaking contest or the recorded presentation division.  

Judging will be held Friday morning, June 25 during the Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. at the DoubleTree Hotel Portland, Portland, Ore.  

The top contestant in each category will present his/her winning speech in a showcase awards ceremony scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on June 25. Award-winning recorded presentations will also be shown during the showcase ceremony.  

Cash awards sponsored by ABS Global Inc., DeForest, Wis., and prizes offered by the American Jersey Cattle Association will be presented in all divisions.  

Live Public Speaking  

Demonstrations or speeches are to focus on any phase of the Registered Jersey™ business, including current affairs and dairy industry trends. Judges will evaluate the speaker’s personal interest in the topic, as well as its appropriateness for a general dairy audience.  

Participants will be divided into groups by their age on January 1, 2010 as follows: Division I, 7 to 10 years; Division II, 11 to 13 years; Division III, 14 to 16; and Division IV, 17 to 20 years.  

Division I contestants present demonstrations between four (4) and six (6) minutes in length. Posters may be used in addition to demonstration materials.  

Participants in Divisions II, III and IV present speeches between five (5) and seven (7) minutes in length. Visual aids are not allowed. Speaker notes are permitted. No more than four (4) 4" x 6" notecards may be used. Judges will ask questions after each presentation is completed. Judging will be open for viewing by interested parties.  

Contestants will be scored on the basis of 50 points, as follows:  topic selection and content, 15 points; organization of speech, 10 points; vocal presentation, 10 points; presentation and effectiveness, 10 points; and response to questions, 5 points. One (1) point will be subtracted from the total point score for each 30 seconds over or under the required speaking time.  

Recorded Presentation Division  

Entries may also be made in the category of narrated video or PowerPoint presentations. This presentation must be the contestant’s own production and have been created between September 1, 2009 and June 1, 2010.  

The topic must be a subject directly related to Registered Jerseys™. Entries must be between five (5) and seven (7) minutes long, and feature the contestant as the only speaker. No costumes may be used, and no interviews with other persons are allowed. Musical tracks or background music cannot be used in these presentations.  

Entries will be divided into three groups by contestant age on January 1, 2010: Division I, ages 7 to 12 years; Division II, ages 13 to 16; and Division III, age 17 and older.  

The finished presentation must be saved in PC format and recorded for playback on either a CD/DVD or USB flashdrive/thumbdrive. Entries must be received in the AJCA office on or before June 10.  

Enter Today  

The contest entry form and evaluation scorecards are posted on the USJersey web site under the “Jersey Youth and Student Projects” heading. Applications may also be requested from the AJCA Development Department by calling 614/861-3636.  

About the National Jersey Youth Program

The American Jersey Cattle Association has made strategic investments in Jersey youth since 1958 when it created the National Heifer Sale to provide annual funding for educational programs and awards. The first of nine youth scholarship funds managed by the AJCA was established in 1965. Two other permanent endowments, the Maurice E. Core Jersey Youth Fund (1993) and Carl Bourne Memorial Fund (1982), provide financial support for junior activities at The All American Show & Sale, the Jersey breed’s showcase event for 57 years. A new educational initiative, Jersey Youth Academy, was funded for 2009 and will be conducted again in the summer of 2011.

Information about the national Jersey youth development program is available at www.usjersey.com/YouthProgram/juniors.pdf or by calling 614/ 861-3636.