American Legion Oratorical Contest

Deadline: 
December through March
Maximum Award: 
$18,000
Eligibility: 
All high school students

The American Legion Oratorical Contest is designed to encourage high school students to further their understanding and appreciation of the U.S. Constitution. The program offers participants an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.

State and local contests run annually from December to March (see below for links to your state competition information), culminating at the national level in April. 

Participant need to have prepared orations that are based upon the Constitution of the United States. Assigned topics, which follow the prepared orations, are also based on the Constitution. All contestants speak on the same assigned topics. Prepared orations must be 8-10 minutes in length, with the assigned topics running from 3-5 minutes.

Each State winner who is certified into and participates in the first round of the National Contest will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Each first round winner who advances to and participates in the second round but does not advance to the Final Round will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship to pursue education beyond high school.

The top three scholarships are for $14,000, $16,000 and $18,000. 

Eligibility:

  • Participants must be citizens of or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
  • All contestants must be bona fide students herein described as any student under the age of 20 years on the date of the national contest who is presently enrolled in a high school or junior high school (public, parochial, military, private or home school).
  • The curriculum of the school must be considered to be of high school level, commencing with grade 9 and terminating with grade 12.
  • Students must be enrolled in high school or junior high school during the time of participation at any level of The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest.
  • Contestants must either be legally domiciled within or attend an educational institution within the department that they enter competition. Contestants can enter competition through only one department.
  • High school students that graduate early during the school year are eligible to compete if they are not enrolled in a college, university, trade school or other institution of higher learning at the time of the department finals contest.
  • The three finalists of the national contest are ineligible for further participation at any level.

State Competition Information