The chairperson will provide a friendly environment to encourage and reassure contestants. The organizers and judges respect the initiative, thought and time invested in all entries.
Our contest chairperson, Marilyn Rowlett, has many years experience with speech and debate. She is acting as the IFHS representative and Mistress of Ceremonies for this contest. A Judging Committee will be appointed from experienced speech coaches in the Indianapolis area (Toastmasters, local teachers, professors, etc.). As a group, they have many years’ experience working with young adults, and they bring to the contest an enthusiasm about the value of speaking skills in every avenue of life.
The Speech Contest will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana at 1 pm on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the Jordan YMCA, 8400 Westfield Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46240. The length of the speech contest depends on the number of graduate participants. The speech contest normally ends around 3 pm.
The students who place first and second in this contest will be asked to deliver their speeches again during the commencement ceremony.
The speeches are to be about something that has inspired you. Some examples might include how you were:
Ideally, you will be able to tie these into the home schooling experience in some way. These are not to be sermons given to a congregation. You are using your experience to give a graduation speech that may inspire your fellow graduates and their families.
Your speech must be 600-900 words, or 5-7 minutes when delivered. Note that the average person speaks at about 150 words per minute.
Speeches will be judged according to the following criteria:
To participate in this contest, please do the following:
Thank you for your interest and participation. The Indiana Foundation for Home Schooling hopes the best for your preparation and performance!