Phases of competition
What is a Community Service Initiative?
Miss America’s Community Service Initiative (CSI) is a vital part of the interview process, offering Delegates a meaningful opportunity to highlight their passions and leadership. Whether you choose to support an existing local or state program or create your own, your initiative becomes a platform for advocacy, impact, and personal expression. Throughout your term, you’ll champion this cause – raising awareness, inspiring change, and demonstrating your commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
Phases of Competition
Both Teen and Miss delegates will compete in these phases of competition
Each delegate participates in a 30-second opening, a 9-minute press conference-style interview, and a 30-second closing statement with judges. They are questioned on their background, goals, opinions on current events, service initiative, and interests.
The private interview is designed to determine the delegates:
- Ability to fulfill titleholder duties
- Relevant personal qualities
- Commitment to community service
- Authentic expression of beliefs
- Accomplishments beyond the fact sheet
- Spontaneity, intelligence, humor, charm, and charisma
- Authenticity in answering questions
- Role model potential
Private Interview Scoring Considerations
- First and last impressions
- Naturalness and relatability
- Communication skills
- Warm, relatable, and confident personality
- Understanding of Community Service Initiative
- Knowledge and commitment to community service
- Positive impact on the public, especially youth
- Charisma and maturity as an ambassador
Delegates are asked a single question onstage regarding their Community Service Initiative (CSI) and the response should not be longer than 30 seconds.
On-stage conversation:
- Unique perspective on community service and its local impact
- Desire to generate interest in her community service initiatives
- Interactive and engaging presentation to showcase each delegate
- Highlights intelligence, personality, charisma, and aptitude
- Shows composure in presenting ideas on stage
- Demonstrates interactivity with panelists and the audience
Scoring is based on:
- Overall first impression
- Response to on-stage question
- Contextual accuracy of the answer
- Ability to handle stage pressure
To underscore the Miss America and Miss America’s Teen commitment to supporting performance arts education initiatives and women’s individual efforts in dance, music, opera/vocal, drama, public speaking, or other various talents, delegates perform a 90-second routine of their own choosing. Read more about HERStory on the Miss America website.
The Talent phase allows insight into the delegate’s:
- Preparatory, performance, or storytelling skills
- Overall presentation and ability to captivate the audience
- Interpretive ability and entertainment value
- Stage presence, personality, and connection to her story
- Ability to capture the audience’s attention while performing
Scoring is based on
Talent selection and performance highlight a candidate’s skills, personality, creativity, and technical ability. Candidates should have strong stage presence and on-stage personality. Scoring considers all elements, including costume, props, voice, body use, and choreography.
Delegate will publicly present her sense of style wearing an evening gown in a fashion suitable for an appearance as Teen/Miss Local/Miss State. Part of a titleholder’s role is to attend galas, fundraisers, and other formal events.
The evening gown portion allows insight into the delegate’s:
- Ability to capture attention on stage, and individual stage presence
- Comfort, confidence, and composure
Scoring is based on:
- Overall first impression
- Sense of confidence, personality and stage presence
- Appropriateness of attire and sense of style
Note: Neither the gown itself nor the estimated cost of the gown should be considered in scoring
This phase highlights each delegate’s dedication to overall health and well-being. A strong foundation in both physical and mental fitness is essential for success and for representing the Miss America or Miss America’s Teen program with confidence and resilience. Delegates perform a choreographed fitness routine modeling red Rebel Athletic Wear, showcasing their commitment to living a balanced, empowered lifestyle. Rebel Athletic is available for purchase here RebelAthletic.com
The Health & Fitness portion allows insight into:
- The delegate’s comfort, confidence, and authenticity on stage
- A positive overall impression of the delegate’s commitment to health and wellness
- Stage presence, energy, and ease in front of an audience
- Natural engagement and spontaneity, avoiding overly rehearsed or mechanical presentation
Local Titleholder Description
We are seeking a Miss and Teen to represent Clovis, Fresno, and Fresno County throughout the year.
Our organization values are: kindness, humility, communication, and teamwork
The ideal titleholder will:
- Serve as an ambassador for the Miss America organization in the local community
- Be dedicated to community service and her role as a titleholder
- Promote her service initiative and the Miss America brand through events, meetings, and social media
- Advocate for kindness, humility, personal growth, open communication, and open-mindedness
- Work collaboratively with sister titleholders and the directors
Examples of duties:
- Be an Active Member of the community by attending grand openings, parades, schools, chamber of commerce events, sponsor meetings, photo opportunities, pop-up meet-n-greets to which she has been invited or scheduled to appear
- Exhibit Role Modelship for local youth by taking photos and speaking with them about your service initiative and issues important to them.
- Welcome opportunities to enhance Interview / Public Speaking skills with the goal to prepare oneself for future career goals and aspirations.
- Foster Relationships with sponsors & community stakeholders with the goal of networking for future career opportunities, engaging with women owned businesses, and/or local governance opportunities.
- Promote her Service Initiative.
- Learn and develop Social Media presence by creating self-generated social media content.
- Be an Ambassador of the Miss America brand.
Availability:
Titleholders should be available on weekends and some weeknights for community events. We’ll try to give 2 weeks’ notice for scheduling, but some events may come up with less notice. We respect your schedule and will work with you.