Optimist International

Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

ListedCompetition

Award: $2,500 scholarship per qualifying district meeting minimum participation. Older 2025-26 guide pays school only for college/university/trade school, claimed by age 25; complete current award-use terms require confirmation.
Deadline: 2026-27 sponsoring Club sets local date/time/place; no universal dated entry deadline published.
How to apply: Local Club entry, signed contestant/parent application and audiologist verification plus recent audiogram or Cochlear Implant Programming Report. Own 4-5-minute presentation on How My Actions Strengthen Those Around Me, typed copy, exact topic first sentence and cited quotations; sign, speak or combine, with Club interpreter. Limited content help, notes/lectern allowed; no props/costumes/audience prompting or identifying body references.
What you'll need: Entry through a local chapter or club
Who can apply: Uncorrected hearing loss at least 40 decibels, qualified audiologist evidence within 24 months. Programme lists U.S./Canada grades through 12, Quebec CEGEP and Caribbean through grade 13; current rules also mention equivalent worldwide. Prior district CCDHH/CCHI scholarship winners cannot return. General contest directory adds under-19 October 1 criterion, while specific programme/rules omit it; confirm age/geographic scope with sponsor.
Good to know: Current specific rules and general directory differ in age/geographic scope. Current resources portal requires login; older2025-26 payment rules are historical. Current2026-27 application is linked under documents/2027, replacing obsolete documents/2026 path.

Official sources

Partly verified

Last checked Oct 1, 2026. Confirm current dates and rules on the official page before applying.

Displayed claim retained; official evidence and prior source-backed record reviewed in this recheck. $2,500 district amount explicit; current full terms remain login-gated. Current program explicitly says each sponsoring club sets entry deadline. No universal date required for this local route. Followed actual sponsor link to corrected 2027 path; current 2026-27 application/rules support displayed presentation route. Current application worldwide equivalent and directory under 19/general geographic scope unresolved.

Current program limits school attendance to U.S./Canada/Caribbean, but current application rules mention worldwide equivalent; general directory adds under19 while specific rules omit it. Geographic/age scope needs sponsor resolution.
Current $2,500 district amount supported; current award use/payment/claim-age terms not accessible. Resources portal requires login and old2025-26 guide is not actively linked as current.

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