What Prepared Public Speaking Is
Prepared Public Speaking is the Kansas FFA leadership development event where a member writes and delivers an original speech of six to eight minutes on a current agriculture-related topic, then answers questions about it. The event builds agricultural leadership and communication skills and promotes interest in citizenship through agricultural public speaking. It is held in conjunction with the State FFA Convention in Manhattan, and the finals are open to the public. The Kansas FFA Association runs it.
The most recent finals were Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in Wildcat Chambers in the K-State Student Union. The 99th convention is June 1-4, 2027 in Manhattan.
How It Works: The Timeline
- Write the speech. The topic must be a current agricultural subject, and the speaker must write it. Kansas FFA posts manuscript suggestions and rubrics for students and advisors.
- Preliminary rounds. In 2026 these began Wednesday, May 27 at 8:00 a.m. in classrooms in the K-State Business Building.
- Semi-finals. Wednesday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the Business Building.
- Finals. Thursday, May 28 at 1:00 p.m. on the LDE finals stage in Wildcat Chambers, open to general attendance.
- Recognition. Winners are recognized in a general session of the convention.
Rules From the National FFA Handbook
Kansas links the National FFA Prepared Public Speaking handbook alongside its own guidelines. Under that handbook:
- Speeches run a minimum of six and a maximum of eight minutes. Every second over or under costs one point on each judge's score sheet, and no time warnings are given.
- Speaking on a non-agricultural subject leads to disqualification. The manuscript must be the speaker's own work with sources documented.
- After the speech, judges ask questions based on the manuscript for five minutes.
- The national scoring is 1,000 points: manuscript 200, presentation 500 and response to questions 300.
- Judges rank speakers independently and the lowest total rank wins. Ties go first to the greatest number of low ranks.
- FFA Official Dress is highly recommended, and an advisor whose student is competing cannot judge that event.
What the Winner Gets
The Kansas state winner is recognized at the convention and listed among past champions on the Kansas FFA event page. Awards are presented on stage during a state convention session. Kansas posts rubrics for the manuscript, the presentation and the question period so speakers can see how they are scored.
Past State Winners
| Year | Winner | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Clara Gfeller | Chapman |
| 2025 | Jackson McCurry | Andale |
| 2024 | Tanner Templeton | Labette County |
| 2023 | Tucker Leck | Neodesha |
| 2022 | Weston Schrader | Minneapolis |
| 2021 | Carissa Dalquest | Council Grove |
| 2019 | Cassie Meyer | Marion-Florence |
| 2018 | Grace Roth | Holcomb |
| 2017 | Michael Dowd | Spring Hill |
| 2016 | Morgan Houk | Girard |
Clara Gfeller was also elected Kansas FFA state president for 2026-2027. The 2020 event was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Questions
Is there a questions period?
Yes. Under the national handbook, judges ask questions about the manuscript for five minutes after the speech.
Can anyone watch the finals?
Yes, the finals are open to general attendance.
Who do I call?
The Kansas FFA Association, 110 Umberger Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506: (785) 532-6424.
Official Links
- Prepared Public Speaking LDE: format, winners and documents
- Kansas Prepared Public Speaking guidelines (DOCX)
- National FFA handbook (PDF)
- Manuscript suggestions (PDF)
- Presentation and questions rubric (PDF)
- 98th convention schedule
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- K-State Ag Ed Speech Event
Public speaking event for Kansas FFA students on January 30, 2027 at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan, hosted with K-State Agricultural Education.
- K-State Career Development Events (Kansas FFA State CDEs)
Kansas FFA state Career Development Events are scheduled for May 2-4, 2027 in Manhattan. Chapters compete in judging, evaluation and skills contests; the 2026 round was held May 3-5.
- Kansas FFA State Convention
The 99th Kansas FFA Convention is set for June 1-4, 2027 in Manhattan. The 2026 convention ran May 26-29 at McCain Auditorium with a theme of Cultivate. Grow Leaders. Lead Change.
- Kansas Livestock Association Convention and Trade Show
Held each year; the most recent dates were November 19-21, 2025. Cattlemen gather for the banquet and live auction, Beef Industry University, committee meetings and the membership breakfast with policy votes.
- Kansas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
Held each year; the most recent dates were December 6-8, 2025 for the 107th meeting. Workshops, a tradeshow, awards banquet and a delegate vote on 2026 policy, with a keynote from the American Farm Bureau president.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.