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Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

National

Amount and deadline

AWARD VALUE
$2,500
Applications go through your school.
DEADLINE June 15, 2027

Checked against the provider's page in Aug 2026.

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Who can apply

High school students with certified hearing loss of 40+ decibels

Worth knowing

June 15 is the date your District has to send its winner to Optimist International. Your own deadline is set by your sponsoring Optimist Club and is much earlier, so contact the local club in the fall.

About this scholarship

The Optimist International Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing awards $2,500 to high school students who demonstrate communication skills despite certified hearing challenges. Contestants must have a documented hearing loss of 40 decibels or more (verified by audiogram within the past 24 months) and present a speech or sign language performance on the 2025-2026 topic: "The Moment I Realized I Belonged: My Definition of Community." The contest is organized at the local district level through Optimist Club chapters across Canada, the US, and the Caribbean, with up to 45 awards available.

How to apply

1 Ask your guidance counsellor how your school handles this award.
2 Ask for the school deadline too. It is often earlier than the one listed here.

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