The Rotary Club of Augusta is inviting Augusta high school students to participate in this year’s annual Preston Johnson Speech Contest.
Initiated in 1997, the contest aims to engage Rotarians, educators and students in a meaningful and rewarding opportunity for the personal development of our nation’s future leaders, according to a press release from the Rotary Club of Augusta.
All Richmond and Columbia County public, private and home-schooled high school students are eligible to participate.
The local contest will be held at the Morris Museum of Art, located at 1 Tenth Street on Feb. 27, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Participants will be assigned various times to arrive.
Each speech is limited to a length of three to four minutes and students must choose from one of two topics: either the “Rotary 4-Way Test” or Rotary International’s theme for 2024-25 – “The Magic of Rotary.”
Students interested can explore www.rotary.org for ideas regarding these topics.
Local winners will receive cash awards of $1,000 for first palace and $750 for second place. Additional cash prizes will be awarded to third and fourth place winners and to honorable mentions.
Both first and second place local winners will also compete for an opportunity to receive a $1,000 scholarship at the Rotary Zone level.
“Our Zone winner will also present his or her speech in late April 2025 at the Rotary District Conference at Jekyll Island,” according to a press release from the Rotary Club of Augusta.
The deadline for registration is Feb. 17 and there is a limit of five applicants per school.
Students should contact their school guidance counselors for further information or visit https://www.rotaryaugusta.org/speech-contest-info/ for more information and to register for the contest.
