Earl Friedman Oratorical Contest
Find Your Voice. Share Your Perspective.
The Earl Friedman Oratorical Contest gives local students the opportunity to develop their public speaking skills, share their ideas, and compete for prizes and scholarship opportunities.
Each year, students prepare and deliver a speech based on the official Optimist International Oratorical Contest topic.
Details for the next contest will be announced soon.
Contest Topic
Coming Soon
SPEECH LENGTH
4-5 Minutes
SCHOLARSHIPS
Local Prizes + Advancement
More Than Public Speaking
Standing in front of an audience and sharing your ideas takes preparation, confidence, and courage.
The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives young people an opportunity to develop those skills while exploring a topic that challenges them to think about themselves and the world around them.
Students prepare and deliver their own speech, gaining valuable experience in communication, organization, and presenting their ideas to others.
Local winners are recognized by the Farmington/Farmington Hills Optimist Club, and eligible winners may have the opportunity to advance to higher levels of Optimist competition.
Who Can Enter?
The Farmington/Farmington Hills Optimist Oratorical Contest is open to eligible students who attend school or live within the Farmington/Farmington Hills community.
Complete age, grade, and eligibility requirements for the next contest will be published when the new contest opens.
The Next Speech Topic
Coming Soon
A new official topic is selected for each Optimist International Oratorical Contest year.
When the next contest is announced, you’ll find the official speech topic here along with the contest date, eligibility requirements, speech requirements, application, and other important information.
Scholarships & Recognition
Students participating in the Oratorical Contest have the opportunity to earn recognition for their public-speaking skills and achievement.
Local winners are recognized by the Farmington/Farmington Hills Optimist Club, and eligible winners may advance to additional levels of Optimist competition.
Students who advance may have opportunities to compete for scholarship awards.
Scholarship amounts and advancement opportunities for the next contest will be posted when official contest information becomes available.
How the Contest Works
Step 1
Prepare Your Speech
Students prepare an original speech based on the official topic for that year’s contest.
Step 2
Submit Your Entry
Students complete the required application and contest materials by the local deadline.
Step 3
Deliver Your Speech
Participants present their speech before judges during the local Oratorical Contest.
Step 4
Opportunity to Advance
Eligible local winners may advance to additional levels of Optimist competition and opportunities for scholarship awards.
Building Confidence That Lasts
The Oratorical Contest is about more than delivering a winning speech.
Learning to organize an idea, communicate it clearly, and stand before an audience are skills students can carry into school, college, careers, and their communities.
We’re proud to give young people in Farmington and Farmington Hills an opportunity to step forward, speak for themselves, and discover what they can accomplish.
Ready to Take the Stage?
The next Optimist Oratorical Contest will bring another opportunity for local students to find their voice and share their ideas.
Check back for the next contest topic, dates, eligibility requirements, and application information.