New Ulm – The Optimist Club of New Ulm is encouraging area students to speak their minds about the topic “The Moment I Realized I Belonged – My Definition of Community”

The Local Oratorical contest will take place on Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. Location: The Junique Center – 125 South Broadway, New Ulm, MN

The deadline for submitting their registration form and a copy of their speech is March 20, 2026. Students wishing to participate in the oratorical contest can find more details by contacting Sandra at 507-217-7780 or by email at milfordmaid@gmail.com.

The contest is open to students under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2025. There are no minimum age requirements

The oratorical contest gives students the chance to speak to the world. The Optimist Club will judge the local students’ speeches based on content and presentation to determine the top winners. This annual speech contest is designed to inspire today’s youth to inform others through the art of public speaking.

Winners of the oratorical contest are awarded a medal and cash scholarships by the local chapter. Winning speeches will advance to District level, for the opportunity to win additional college scholarships. Winners of the District level will be eligible to compete in a regional competition at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. Winners of the regional contests will compete in the World Championship, also held at Saint Louis University. Students could potentially win up to $22,500 in scholarships!

DMM District Oratorical contest will be held May 1 st , 2026, in Watertown, SD World Oratorical Championships 2026 will be held July 17-18, 2026, in St. Louis, MO “As they prepare for their future, many of our local students need experience expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience,” Club Member and Chair of the Oratorical Contest, Sandra Juni said, “The Oratorical Contest challenges them to do just that and offers an opportunity for scholarships. In this way, our club hopes to bring out the best in each of them and help them achieve their goals for the future.” The Optimist Club of New Ulm has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for several years and has been active in the community since February 1997. Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with over 80,000 adult and youth members in almost 3,000 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico, and throughout the world. The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually. Carrying the Mission Statement, “By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves”. Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about the Optimist Club of New Ulm, please visit the organization’s website at www.newulmoptimistclub.org