Participants in the Ballarat finals of the annual Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award had to show quick thinking along with strong communication skills during competition yesterday.
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After giving a planned five-minute speech on a topic of their choice, 16 speakers from seven Ballarat secondary schools were given five minutes to prepare an impromptu two-minute speech on a topic given to them.
Event coordinator Allan McKinnon said the standard was high among the young competitors aged 12 to 14.
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"It's a beginning step for most of the kids in secondary school public speaking. A lot were just in year seven and you often see them come back in following years as more mature speakers."
Mr McKinnon said it was important to foster public speaking skills among young people.
"I think anybody who has got the ability to get up and speak in front of people is at an advantage to anybody else. It's a great skill to have," he said.
The Victorian finals of the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award will be held in Ballarat in September.
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