High School Oratory Contest
Right to Life of Michigan’s annual high school oratory contest is open to all prolife high school students in Michigan. Contestants will give a 5 to 7 minute speech on one of several prolife topics. Contests are sponsored by Right to Life of Michigan affiliates across the state. Winners of the local affiliate contests will compete in the statewide contest in the Lansing area in the spring, and the winner of the state competition will win a trip to compete in National Right to Life’s contest in June or July.
For more information about the Oratory Contest, contact your local Right to Life of Michigan affiliate, or State Contest Coordinator Grace Hemmeke at (616) 532-2300 or [email protected]
2023 Contest
This year is our 34th Annual High School Oratory Contest. Below is the full list of Right to Life of Michigan affiliates sponsoring local contests. For more information, contact the State Contest Coordinator Grace Hemmeke, [email protected], or your local affiliate.
Bay County Right to Life
Date: April 16
Location: TBA
Berrien County Right to Life
Date: March 11
Location: The Shore Church, St. Joseph
Birmingham/Bloomfield Right to Life
Date: TBA
Location: Everest Collegiate High School & Academy
Cass County Right to Life
Date: April 16
Location: Diamond Cove Missionary Church, Cassopolis
Chippewa County Right to Life
Date: March 12
Location: TBA
Clinton County Right to Life
Date: April 15
Location: St. Joseph Church, St. Johns
Emmet County Right to Life
Date: April 5
Location: Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Petoskey
Gaylord Right to Life
Date: March 3
Location: Gaylord Family Fellowship Church
Grand Rapids Right to Life
Date: March 7
Location: Grand Rapids Right to Life Office, Grand Rapids
Grand Traverse Area Right to Life
Date: March 14
Location: St. Francis Catholic Church, Traverse City
Holland Area Right to Life
Date: March 9
Location: Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Holland
Huron County Right to Life
Date: March 11
Location: Steakhouse, Bad Axe
Kalamazoo Right to Life
Date: February 11
Location: Christian Assembly of God Church, Portage
Lenawee County Right to Life
Date: March 24
Location: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Adrian
North Allegan County Right to Life
Date: March 14
Location: TBA
Ogemaw County Right to Life
Date: April 18
Location: Ogemaw Hills Church
Oceana, Mason, and Manistee Counties Right to Life
Date: April 15
Location: Lighthouse Baptist Church, Luddington MI
Portland Right to Life
Date: March 12
Location: First Baptist Church, Portland
Saginaw Right to Life
Date: April 18
Location: Community Baptist Church, Saginaw
Sanilac Right to Life
Date: March 5
Location: Sandusky Baptist Church, Sandusky
St. Clair County Right to Life
Date: April 1
Location: Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School
Tri-Cities Right to Life
Date: March 22
Location: 1416 Washington St., Grand Haven, MI 49417
Upper Downriver, Southern Downriver, & Central Wayne County Right to Life
Date: March 18
Location: Southgate Public Library
Washtenaw Area Right to Life
Date: March 25
Location: Father Gabriel Richard High School, Ann Arbor
Wexford/Missaukee Right to Life
Date: April 4
Location: Northland Community Church, McBain
2021 Contest
Our 32nd Annual High School Oratory Contest was held Saturday, May 22, at New Hope Community Church in Charlotte. We had 18 contestants who gave powerful speeches in defense of life. Our first-place winner was Emily Ranschaert from Grand Rapids Right to Life. Our second-place winner was Bridget Bogan from Washtenaw Area Right to Life. She representing Right to Life of Michigan at the National Right to Life Jane B. Thompson Oratory Contest in Herndon, Virginia, because the national contest only allows juniors and seniors to compete, taking fourth-place nationally. Our third-place winner was Malakai Honyoust representing Manistee, Mason, and Oceana County Right to Life.