Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest

Davis School District announces 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. speech contest

Davis School District

September 3, 2026

Davis School District students are invited to participate in the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest, an opportunity for students to study the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and share a portion of one of his speeches through public speaking.

The contest is open to all students, with separate grade-level categories for each division. 

Elementary Speech Contest

Elementary students will compete in three categories:

  • Elementary K-2

  • Elementary 3-4

  • Elementary 5-6

Each school may submit one student per category. 

Secondary Speech Contest

Secondary students will compete in two categories:

  • Junior High, grades 7-9

  • Senior High, grades 10-12

Each school may submit one student per category. 

Speech Requirements

Students should select any portion or excerpt from a single Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech as the focus of their presentation.

Speeches must be:

  • At least one minute long

  • No more than three minutes long

  • Presented in English or another language

Students presenting in a language other than English, please contact Holly Decarolis at hdecarolis@dsdmail.net. 

Important Dates

The district due date for speech contest entries is Nov. 2, 2026.

District judging will take place Nov. 16-17, 2026. 

Prizes

Students will compete for prizes in each category:

  • First place: $100

  • Second place: $75

  • Third place: $50

Prizes are awarded per category. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest gives Davis School District students an opportunity to engage with the powerful words and ideas of Dr. King while developing their public speaking skills. Through studying and presenting excerpts from his speeches, students can reflect on messages of freedom and share those ideas with their school and district community.