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What is SPJST Youth Showcase?
The SPJST Youth Showcase was born of the idea that healthy competition inspires young people to do their best! Competition is wonderful when it provides feedback to young people about their performance and improvement, when winning is not the sole objective, and when young people get to grow from the experience.
For years, that idea presented itself in SPJST in the form of seven District Youth Achievement Day contests held in early summer and culminating with State Youth Achievement Day at the end of summer break. Thanks to the social distancing mandated by the coronavirus, that changed things — at least for now! The SPJST Youth Showcase aims to fill that void and will consist of competition in five categories:
• Constructed Items
• Photography
• Pictorial Arts
• Individual Talent
• Royalty
Who Can Enter?
The SPJST Youth Showcase is open to all SPJST young people who have a current SPJST Life Insurance certificate. Certificates must be issued no later than June 1, 2020. Any young person who has completed kindergarten to an incoming high school senior is eligible to participate. The 2020 SPJST Youth Showcase is open to youth who have not previously been part of the SPJST youth program.
Contestants will compete for first, second, and third place recognition in four age categories in each district:
• Completed Kindergarten to 8 Years
• Ages 9 to 11
• Ages 12 to 14
• Ages 15 to High School Senior
SPJST Youth Showcase contestants must be single and cannot be a parent or pregnant. In the first round of the SPJST Youth Showcase, contestants will compete for district recognition. First place district winners will advance to the competition to be presented in August. All district and state results will be announced at www.spjst.org, on SPJST’s social media pages, and in the Věstník.
How to Enter
An SPJST Youth Showcase contestant must register electronically at spjst.org. All contestants may submit one entry per category. Youth will also do the same for talent and royalty competitions.
Parents and youth will be responsible for completing an electronic entries and submitting a digital file of their project (digital image for craft projects/videos for Individual Talent and Royalty speeches). The entry process of the electronic entry cards and uploads of the project must be submitted at the same time. No entries will be accepted by email or text. Electronic registration will begin on Monday, June 15 and close on Sunday, July 5 at 11:59 p.m. If a mistake is made with an upload and corrected before the cutoff date, the contestant will be able to correct the problem before the entry is judged.
General Youth Showcase Rules
Upload one high quality, digital image of the entry submitted for Constructed Items, Pictorial Arts, and Photography. The image should be of the entry against a solid white or colored background.
Youth Showcase Craft Contests
Contestants may enter one entry in each category:
• Constructed Items
• Pictorial Arts
• Photography
General Craft Rules and Judging Criteria
• Items must be made by the contestant.
• Items previously entered in SPJST youth competitions may not be entered.
• All craft entries and digital images must be submitted electronically.
• Contestant will submit one digital image for each entry. Please use a solid white or colored background when taking photograph of your project.
• Entries featuring and/or promoting the use of any alcohol, tobacco, or drug product will not be accepted.
Tie Breakers
Ties will be broken for first place in all categories and for second place in royalty. If scores are tied after judging, the winner will be determined by reviewing the contestant’s scores. The contestant with the greatest number of first place scores from the judges will be the first place winner.
Constructed Items
• The entry being submitted for judging must be made of clay or molded dough. Be creative and have fun!
Judging Criteria
Level of Difficulty – 40 points
Creativity and Design – 40 points
Neatness and Appearance – 20 points
Photography
• The entry must illustrate the category, “Flower(s).”
• The image must be in color.
• Camera effects and digital modifications are not permitted.
Judging Criteria and Description
Composition – 35 points
The arrangement of the forms within the photo should be pleasing to the eye. How well did the photographer use the available space within his format? If the rules of thirds are broken, did the result justify that decision?
Exposure – 25 points
The amount of light that enters the camera hitting the camera sensor is called exposure. If not enough light enters the camera and reaches the digital sensor, the image will be too dark or underexposed. If too much light enters the camera and reaches the digital sensor, the image will be too bright or overexposed.
Impact – 25 points
Impact is the sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. This is best explained by the “I wish I’d taken that picture” reaction. Does the image make the viewer feel happy, sad, angry, proud, or another intense emotion?
Creativity – 15 points
Creativity is the digital image original, fresh, and external expression of the imagination taken by the photographer? Did the photographer convey an idea, message or thought?
Pictorial Arts
• The entry being submitted for judging must be a freehand painting or drawing on paper, canvas, or poster board using paint, ink, pencil, crayon, chalk, or markers.
Judging Criteria
Level of Difficulty – 40 points
Creativity and Design – 40 points
Neatness and Appearance – 20 points
Individual Talent Contest Rules and Judging Criteria
Contestants are invited to perform the talent of their choice — dance, dramatic presentation, gymnastics, instrumental, vocal, pantomime, and lip-sync — are all permitted.
Performance Guidelines
• For Individual Talent, the performance must be limited to three minutes or less. The time limit does not include the introduction.
• Contestants will not announce their name, lodge, or hometown in their introduction or at any time during their digitally recorded presentation.
• No outside assistance with talent acts is permitted.
• Performance, costumes, music, and props must be in good taste and age appropriate. If video is determined inappropriate, it will not be judged.
Judging Criteria
Technique (Level of Skill) – 40 points
Rendition (Creativity) – 25 points
Stage Presence (Poise/Personality) – 20 points
Extra Merit – 15 points
Royalty Competition
The SPJST State King and SPJST State Queen are considered to be the “youth ambassadors” for the Society. As such, they represent the SPJST at several public events during their course of their reign. More than anything, perhaps, the SPJST Royalty Competition is about presentation and poise and the ability to communicate effectively.
• Contestants may enter by completing the online registration for “Royalty” at spjst.org. Speeches and autobiographies must be uploaded with the royalty entry. Royalty winners will be the 2020 SPJST Youth Ambassadors for the society.
• Compelling, confident public speaking is a crucial skill that is often not developed in a young person’s formative years; however, it can strongly impact how the young person views him/herself and how he/she develops and succeeds in school. The poise and increased command of public speaking that are gained from competing in this category at the district and state levels will not only help youth in school, but also empower them in any situation they encounter in life.
King and Queen Competition
King and queen contestants must be entering high school freshmen to high school seniors.
Competition Guidelines
The District competition will be the speech presentation. Royalty speech content shall be presented in a positive manner (pre-recorded).
The State competition includes two interview questions and the speech presentation. Royalty speech content shall be presented in a positive manner.
All contestants within a district will compete for the district titles. District winners will compete for the state titles. State royalty competition will take place on a web-based platform, such as GoToMeeting or Zoom.
Speech Topic
• The topic for the 2020 royalty speeches is: “SPJST – Superheroes Unite!”
• The royalty speech must be in the contestant’s own words and not exceed three minutes. It will incorporate SPJST and make up 50 percent of the speech.
• The speech time limit is three minutes. A total of three points (one point by each of the three judges) will be deducted if a contestant exceeds the time limit. Time limit begins with the contestant’s first word.
• If any technical difficulties should arise during the state royalty competition, the contestant will have the opportunity to restart the speech.
District Royalty Judging Criteria (Pre-Recorded)
Speech Content (includes adhering to the topic) – 40 points
Speech Delivery – 50 points
Stage Presence (neatness, poise, appearance) – 10 points
State Royalty Judging Criteria (Live)
Interview No. 1 – 15 points
Interview No. 2 – 15 points
Speech Content (includes adhering to the topic) – 30 points
Speech Delivery – 30 points
Stage Presence (neatness, poise, appearance) – 10 points
Contestant Guidelines
• Contestants must have participated in a previous YAD in order to compete in the Royalty competition.
• The attire for the district and state royalty contestants is professional (formal or business attire).
• Past SPJST State Kings and past SPJST State Queens are not eligible to enter.
• An SPJST queen candidate shall not be expecting or have given birth to a child. In the event such does occur during her reign, she shall relinquish her crown and all prizes.
• An SPJST king candidate shall not have fathered or be fathering a child. In the event such does occur during his reign, he shall relinquish his crown and all prizes.
• SPJST Royalty candidates who are being treated for the use of drugs or alcohol and/or convicted of an offense greater than a Class C misdemeanor (speeding ticket) prior to competition are ineligible to compete. In the event such does occur during his/her reign, he/she shall relinquish his/her crown and all prizes.
• Contestants will have no facial hair and no visible body piercings and/or tattoos during competition.
Dukes and Duchesses
Duke and duchess candidates must have completed kindergarten and may be up to 12 years of age. These young people will not compete during the online competition. They are designated by the king and queen contestants.
Awards
State King: $1,500 SPJST Scholarship*, trophy, sash
State Queen: $1,500 SPJST
Scholarship*, tiara, trophy, sash
State Duke: Trophy, sash
State Duchess: Small tiara, trophy, sash
First and second runners-up will also receive awards.
*The State King and State Queen will receive scholarship upon successful completion of reign and State Royalty requirements.