More than 1,140 youth participated in skillathons at the 1995 Ohio State Junior Fair. OSU Extension Specialists, County Agents and FFA Instructors provided the educational base for this event, which makes learning and knowledge assessment fun.

A skillathon or "Livestock Learning Laboratory" is an excellent method of involving FFA and 4-H'ers in challenging, learn-by-doing activities. This method of helping youth develop both their life skills and project skills is designed as a series of mini-learning stations with a facilitator at each one. The participants rotate from station to station, attempting to perform specific tasks. The station facilitator allows participants to test their own knowledge and abilities. This technique is referred to as experiential learning or learning by doing. The ideal facilitator has a pleasant disposition and explains the task in a friendly manner.

1. Provide a learning laboratory which will enhance knowledge of the beef, poultry, sheep and swine industries.

2. Help youth feel more comfortable communicating with an adult.

3. Gain self-confidence and skills in one-on-one communication.

4. Develop responsibility for completing a project.

5. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

6. Provide additional opportunities to recognize youth for their accomplishments.

A summary of educational station topics is listed on the attached charts.

New this year at the Ohio State Fair was the addition of a program entitled "Outstanding Market Exhibitor." It was offered for market barrows, lambs, steers and meat chicken exhibitors. This new event recognized youth who excelled in the skillathon, showmanship and live animal show competitions and was sponsored by the Ohio Expositions Commission, OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Education Service (FFA).

This new program is a result of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's ad hoc Livestock Show Committee's suggestions and the Ohio Exposition Commission's support to return livestock projects to a more educational focus. The main purpose of 4-H and FFA is to develop a young person into a champion kid. We also hope these champion kids have learned enough about livestock production to raise champion animals.

EACH of the four stations is worth 25 points.

Station 1 - Feed Records and Feeding Program
0 or 5 points for bringing up-to-date book
10 additional points for quality and completeness of the book, based on the following sections:
      (give 0, 1 or 2 points for each section)
      Front page
      Animal identification
      Weight records
      Miscellaneous expenses - everyone should have a vet expense
      Feed records

(At least one complete correct entry is needed to earn the youth two points for that section. Incomplete entries are worth one point. No entry in a given section receives 0 points.

5 points - draw 1 out of 10 feed tags and answer question on back of feed tag.
5 points - identify feedstuffs 5 feeds and 10 name labels. 1 point for each feed correctly identified. Name labels will include:
      Rolled oats
      Whole oats
      Wheat
      Ground corn
      Cracked corn
      Brewers grain
      Cotton seed meal
      Soybean meal
      Salt
      Di-calcium phosphate
      Complete feed

Station 2 - Parts of a pig
1 point free
Identify 12 parts - 2 points for each correctly identified part. Each youth will select 12 name pieces from 24 name pieces. (Will not use rib area, back or foreflank as possible parts.)

Station 3 - Ear Notching
1 point free for trying.
6 points - put litter number in right ear.
6 points - put individual pig number in left ear.
6 points - performed correct notch number for litter number.
6 points - performed correct notch number for individual pig number.
Equipment needed is ear notchers, cut-out pig heads on cardstock paper, 10 sets of litter numbers on yellow paper 1-54 (delete 1, 3, 9 and 27), individual pig numbers on blue paper 1-18. Each youth will draw out 1 litter number and 1 pig number.

Station 4 - Breed Identification
1 point free.
3 points for each breed correctly identified.

Photos for the eight major breeds to identify are identical to those in "Squeal Appeal," the beginner 4-H market hog workbook. Each youth will be given 12 breed names and they only need to match eight. Breed names will include:

Tamworth
Pietrain
Blue-Butt
Hereford
Spot
Chester White
Berkshire
Duroc
Yorkshire
Poland China
Hampshire
Landrace

Outstanding Market Exhibitor Program Management Tips

1. Pre-registration
Youth had to register on their state fair entry form for skillathon and showmanship competitions just like they do for the live animal show. This allowed us to plan for number of potential participants and make any necessary arrangements for youth with special needs. (There also was a section on the fair entry form to indicate if there were any special requests or needs.)

2. Time Frame
Each market specie skillathon had 4 stations. We planned on 12 youth per "line" per hour. (There were 4 stations in a line.) This allows approximately 5 minutes per youth per station. The fair book had designated times youthg were to register by age categories. (See accompanying chart.) Since youth had to pre-register, we could easily plan for the number of facilitators and needed station materials.

Age of Exhibitor                                                Designated Sign-Up 
as of January 1, 1995                                      & Participation Time

16, 17 & 18 Year Olds                                                8:30 a.m.
14 & 15 Year Olds                                                    10:30 a.m.
12 & 13 Year Olds                                                    12:00 Noon
11 Year Olds                                                             2:00 p.m.
10 Year Olds                                                             3:30 p.m.
9 Year Olds & 3rd graders (as of 1-1-95)                     5:00 p.m.

3. Order of Competitive Educational Events
Ideally, youth should participate in the skillathon first, showmanship second and the live animal show last. This builds excitement and suspense for the program. Youth have to be in the Top 10 of each of these events to be eligible for the outstanding market exhibitor. Therefore, if showmanship is conducted first and one does not place in the Top 10 of their class, they may not be very motivated to participate in the skillathon.

4. Skillathon Awards
Skillathon participants each received a lapel pin. No awards were given for 2nd-10th place. 1st place winners received a plaque. Winners were pleasantly surprised on show day because 1st place age winners were recognized during the show while they were showing their respective animals. Skillathon scores were posted by exhibitor number immediately following the live animal show. Posting scores following the show kept the program suspenseful and exciting.

5. Skillathon Layout
The order of participation for the skillathon stations should be arranged so the station requiring the most time is first and the station requiring the least amount of time is last. This should keep lines moving in a timely, organized manner.

6. Awards Ceremony
Prior to the selection of the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Animals 10 Age Finalists (the Top 9-year-old, 10-year-old, etc. to 18-year-old) were recognized in the showring and presented with awards. Then the Outstanding Market Exhibitor was announced.

7. Money Given To Diverse Areas
A Caps program was initiated for the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Animals which sold through the Sale of Champions. A percentage of these monies went to:

- Skillathon Age Winners
- Showmanship Age Winners
- Outstanding Market Exhibitor Age Finalists for 4 species. (The top 9-year-old, 10-year-old, etc. to 18-year-old)
- Champion Breeding Animal Exhibitors
- Exhibitors whose animals placed in the carcass competition
- Scholarships (16 $1,000 scholarships representing livestock and non-livestock events)
This Cap dispersement represents a well-rounded approach to important segments of projects (knowledge, hands-on skills, quality of finished product, carcass merit, etc.). In addition, supporters know they are helping several youth versus 1 or 2 individuals.

8. No Extra Work Recording Results
The design of this program did not alter how the live show and showmanship were currently conducted. No additional recording of show results was required. Points in the live animal show were only awarded and recorded on those who placed and received premium money.

9. Making Learning Fun
Showing an animal is fun. Most youth would probably agree that taking a test is not the most exciting and fun thing to do. Therefore, it is important that knowledge assessment for junior fair projects be fun and include hands-on experiences. Skillathons provide an environment that makes knowledge assessment fun! Make sure your skillathons include as many "hands-on" experiences as possible.

Example: Swine Skillathon - Ear Notching Station.

In a written test, youth could I.D. ear notch numbers.

In a skillathon, they read their situation and draw out numbers and then ear notch with real ear notchers a paper cut-out of a pig head.

Skillathon stations should be designed so the sharing of answers will not give an advantage to future participants.

Example: Skillaton Station Ear Notching - Instead of every youth ear notching the same litter number and pig number, have them draw out numbers. This way, the chance of any two youth having the same numbers to notch are greatly reduced.

1. To be eligible for the Outstanding Market Exhibitor Award in barrows, lambs, meat chickens and steers, an exhibitor must participate in the skillathon and use their own animal in showmanship and the live animal show for each specie entered. Youth must register in advance for showmanship, skillathon and the live animal show on their Ohio State Fair Jr. Division Livestock form that's due June 30, 1995.

2. Exhibitors must place (qualifying for a premium) in their respective class of the live animal Jr. Division show to be eligible for outstanding exhibitor.

3. Exhibitors who have achieved the above requirements and who have placed in the top 10 of their age class for showmanship and skillathon will have these two rankings added together with the live animal ranking to determine the outstanding exhibitor. Rankings for the live show, showmanship and skillathon will be assigned points according to the following scale: 1st place, 100 points; 2nd place, 98 points; 3rd place, 96 points; 4th place, 94 points; 5th place, 92 points, etc.

4. The Outstanding Market Exhibitor Project for steers, barrows, and lambs will sell in their respective barn sales with the following Top Dollar caps: Beef, $7,000; Poultry, N/A - see #5; Sheep, $4,000; Swine, $4,000.

5. Since there is no sale in the Poultry Barn, the Top 5 Outstanding Meat Chicken Exhibitors will receive the following premiums:

1st - $1,000 Cash Premium plus a $500 Savings Bond
2nd - $750 Cash Premium
3rd - $500 Cash Premium
4th - $250 Cash Premium
5th - $125 Cash Premium

6. If the Grand and/or Reserve Grand Champion Market Animal and Outstanding Market Exhibitor are the same person with the same animal for both awards, then the exhibitor receives all awards. Their animal would sell in the Sale of Champions. The Reserve Outstanding Market Exhibitor would sell in the respective barn sale except for poultry, which receives designated premiums.

a. If an exhibitor wins Grand and/or Reserve Grand Champion Market Animal and Outstanding Market Exhibitor with different animals, then they all sell.

b. If a youth wins Outstanding Market Exhibitor and has two or more animals who achieve the Live Animal placing criteria, then the best animal, as determined by the show judge, would sell as the Outstanding Market Exhibitor unless one animal is the Grand and/or Reserve Grand Champion animal overall.

7. If tied, the following procedure will be used to break ties:

Tie Breakers
1st - Skillathon Placing
2nd - Total Skillathon Score
3rd - Skillathon Station #1 Score
4th - Skillathon Station #2 Score
5th - Skillathon Station #3 Score
6th - Skillathon Station #4 Score
7th - Best animal as determined by show judge
8th - Interview by 4-H Representative, FFA Representative and Ohio State Fair Representative