Annual Student Speaker Contest

This year the Lions of California are proud to sponsor the 89th annual Student Speakers Contest.

Our challenging topic for the 2026 contest is:

“Mental Health: Overcoming Barriers to Well-Being.” 

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The Student Speakers Foundation was organized in 1960. Its father is Don Snyder, District Governor in Southern California, 1958-59. He asked Past International President Fred Smith and then International Director Dwight Stanford to join him as the organizers and first directors of the Foundation. Don did all the work getting IRS and California taxing authorities approval. He is now a lifetime, honorary Director of the Foundation, as is Dwight Stanford.

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The Foundation’s first cash came from the profits of the Lions Goods Store at the next California Lions State Convention. District Governor Al Mendel of Apple Valley, 1961-62, ran the store and suggested the gift. The first few years of the Foundation were a bit thorny. It was hard for the organization to collect money when it had very little prestige. Gradually the situation changed and the Foundation began to supplement the prizes which heretofore had been paid for entirely out of the California Lions State budget. Foundation funds come entirely from voluntary donations and income from the accumulated assets.

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Contest Dates:

• Club Contest by, February __, 2026

• Zone Contest by, March __, 2026

• Region Contest by, March __, 2026

• District Contest by, April __,  2026

• Area Contest by, May __, 2026

• State Final Contest on May __, 2026 (San Diego)