Each year the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) hosts the, “If I were Mayor…” student contest. The contest takes place on a local and state level. Ashland Mayor, Tonya Graham, is encouraging Ashland’s youth to apply!
“This contest offers students in the 4th through 12th grades the chance to learn more about civic engagement and use their voice in local government,” stated Mayor Graham. “Last year local fifth-grader, Nadia McGrady from Bellview Elementary, received second place in the statewide entries.” (Read about it in Ashland.news.)
The contest is divided into three categories:
- Elementary School (grade 4-5) - Poster Contest (Photo of poster can be PNG, JPEG, or PDF files)
- Middle School (grade 6-8) - Essay Contest (Word, PDF, PowerPoint or online essay format)
- High School (grades 9-12) - Digital Media Presentations (Videos only, MP4 or online video format)
The Ashland City Council will assist Mayor Graham in selecting one winner from each category. All contestants will be recognized for their entries and the winners will be presented with awards at a City Council meeting. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13, 2026.
The local winning entries will be submitted to the state contest for a chance to win a cash prize and recognition. First place statewide winning students in each of the three categories will win $500, second and third place winning students win $300 and $100 respectively.
Visit ashlandoregon.gov/OMAcontest to learn how and where to send your entries, and view examples. “We are better together!”
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