Youth Creative Arts & Communication Expo

April 12, 2025

Youth K-8th Grade

Location: TBD

“Youth often leave this event feeling so good about themselves and proud about what they have accomplished or shared with others. This is a great opportunity for youth to also find a new spark, or interest, after participating in the learning stations and have a new sense of hope and curiosity.”

Anne Williams, Oneida County 4-H Educator

Accommodations and language access can be requested to UW-Extension Oneida County until FEBRUARY 21, 2025. Please contact Jessica Young for further assistance. Email: jyoung43@wisc.edu or call 715-365-2750.

Judging Groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8

  1. Pen or Pencil Drawing
  2. Sculpture- dough or clay
  3. Print making
  4. Craft
  5. Painting
  6. Watercolor
  7. Crayon or marker drawing
  8. Multi-media drawing
  9. Scratch Drawing
  10. Paper art
  11. Sculpture-other media
  12. Recycled materials
  13. Any other art project not listed above.

Music Performance

  1. Singing
  2. Instrument
  3. Dance
  4. A performance by two or more youths in singing, instrument, or dance.

Drama

  1. Pantomine
  2. Reading a story.
  3. Acting a created or scripted character role or routine.
  4. Doing a clown routine.
  5. Doing a puppet routine.
  6. Two or more youth doing a drama routine.
  7. Anything not listed above in the category of drama/music performance.

Photography

  1. Seasonal/Landscape
  2. Animal/Bird/Insect
  3. Night Scene
  4. Action
  5. Sports/Hobbies
  6. Portrait
  7. Still Life
  8. Special Effects
  9. Human Interest
  10. Anything else not listed above.

(4×6 in size, photos may be in color or black and white)

Cake Decorating

Items will not be tasted by the judges; youth can use cardboard as a base for decorating if desired.

  1. Decorated Cake (the cake itself will not be judged).
  2. Decorated Cookie (the cookie itself will not be judged).
  3. Two or more cookies created as a theme together (the cookies themselves will not be judged).
  4. Other not listed above.

Woodworking

  1. Item made for inside the home.
  2. Item made for outside the home.
  3. Item made as a toy.
  4. Item made by recycling wood.
  5. Other not listed above.

Yarn Work

  1. Knitted Item
  2. Needlework Item
  3. Other not listed above.

Crocheting

  1. Article of clothing.
  2. Household Item
  3. Item for personal use (not clothing).
  4. Holiday Item
  5. Other not listed above.

Sewing

  1. Article of clothing.
  2. Household Item
  3. Personal Item (not clothing).
  4. Other not listed above.

Demonstration

Demonstration Guidelines:

 A Demonstration is a “how to” for the audience. Doing a demonstration will involve public speaking.

  • Try to stay within 5 minutes.  A demonstration can be as short as 1 minute.
  • Make your introduction interesting.
  • Create a poster for your demonstration, and put the title of your demonstration on it.
  • List the steps in your demonstration as you go through them. You could also write the steps/ingredients on your poster.
  • Conclude your demonstration with a summary of what you demonstrated.
  • Props are encouraged, as they can help explain steps in a visual way.
  • At the end, you will receive evaluation comments on the following: paper/poster with demonstration title listed, introduction, organization of material, summary at the end, voice quality (speed, volume, inflection), eye contact, posture (standing straight), appropriate grooming, how interesting you made the topic, and your ability to answer questions from the judges at the end of the demonstration.

Only youth who sign up for “demonstration” will give a demonstration.

Watch “How to Give a Demonstration” video for further guidance (3:27 mark of video)

This is a face-to-face learning experience, so youth are required to be present. The Expo will end when all entries have been viewed and feedback received. Parents and friends are encouraged to come and watch!

Why is receiving feedback so important for youth and teens?

Oftentimes a person will complete a project to earn a grade or prize or put it away after it is finished and work on something else, but reflecting is an important step because it provides an opportunity for youth to develop logical thoughts, verbalize those thoughts, relate to others, and compare experiences. It also allows for an atmosphere of acceptance of individual participants and diverse thinking.

What might guest community members be asking?

This event places an emphasis on participants having fun and learning from each other by sharing knowledge and skills, evaluating themselves, and relating experiences to their own lives. Judges will be asking questions, listening to the youth carefully, helping youth reflect on their experiences, and supporting each youth’s unique learning. Youth will learn how to share and reflect upon what they did. Some of the questions may include:

  • What part of their experience was the most difficult?
  • What was the easiest for them?
  • What problems or issues came up as they did the activity?
  • How did they deal with these problems?
  • What life skills did they practice?
  • What did they learn about the project from the experience?
  • How does what they did relate to other things in their life?
  • How can they apply what they learned to future situations?

Interacting in a Group Setting

If your child is not yet ready or does not yet feel comfortable participating in a small group setting, please email apwilliams@wisc.edu or call 715-365-2750 and ask to speak with Anne, the 4-H Educator. This event is meant to be a fun learning experience. Having a conversation with the 4-H Educator before the event regarding this can be helpful for both the family and the event organizers.

 

 

 

Need Language Access?

Accessibility is important to Extension Oneida County. UW-Madison’s Division of Extension offers translation, interpretation, and content review services. Please email jyoung43@wisc.edu or call 715-365-2750 to request language accommodations.

 

 

 Questions? Need clarification? Contact Oneida County 4-H Staff:

Anne Williams, Oneida County UW-Extension 4-H Program Educator

Phone: 715-365-2750     Email: apwilliams@wisc.edu

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