4-H: Growing One Interview at a Time

Published: 2020
By Allyssa Zoern

Static Exhibit Interview Judging is something that Cascade County 4-H’ers look forward to every year. This judging usually takes place at the Montana Sate Fair, but the fair was cancelled due to COVID-19. This event gives youth the chance to show what they have learned in non-animal 4-H projects while working on communication, public speaking, and interview skills. Once it was safe to hold modified in-person programming, a Static Exhibit Interview Judging event was planned by Cascade County MSU Extension 4-H & Youth Development Agent Allyssa Zoern and 4-H Volunteer Leaders Keri Leggett and Ashley Adkins. The response from the Cascade County 4-H community was extremely positive. Youth missed many traditional summer 4-H activities and were excited to participate in the modified in-person event. It was over 90 degrees the day of the event, so it really felt like a typical day at the fair. Three tables were set up and decorated outdoors at the MSU Extension office. The number of participants was much lower than a typical year, but it gave judges more time to talk with youth about projects and explore what they learned.