The contest is open to young people through grade 12 in the United States and Canada, to CEGEP in Qu?®bec and grade 13 in the Caribbean, who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. Students must submit the results of an audiogram completed no longer than 24 months prior to the date of the contest by a qualified audiologist. Students must be certified to have an uncorrected hearing loss of 40 decibels or more, which must be supported by the audiogram in order to be eligible to compete. Students with permanent correction should compete in the Optimist International Oratorical contest. Interested students should contact their local Optimist Club. To find out the contact in your area, please e-mail the Programs department at programs@optimist.org. The deadline to enter is determined by the sponsoring Club. The deadline for Clubs to submit their winner to the next level of competition is set by the District. District deadline to submit a winner to Optimist International is June 15, 2020. This contest offers an opportunity for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to present their thoughts in the community, gaining skills, which can only come from signing or speaking to a large audience. Patterned after the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the Communication Contest For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers hearing impaired youth the chance to compete in speech or sign language. The Optimist International Foundations fund a $2,500 scholarship to any District that meets the minimum participation criteria.