"If I Were Mayor..." Essay Contest
ABOUT THE CONTEST
The Mayors Council of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Municipal League invite 8th graders from home, public, and private schools throughout Oklahoma to participate in a statewide essay contest, “If I Were Mayor...” to tell others what they would do as Mayor to make their city or town a better place to live.
This year, MCO and OML are partnering with the Potts Family Foundation and they have generously agreed to award a $250 stipend to the teacher of the winning student!
Promoting effective municipal government is important to Oklahoma’s cities and towns. This essay contest provides students the opportunity to reflect on the role of the key elected official in their own community.
Our future leaders are in the classrooms and the education they receive today will help them to become good citizens tomorrow — and hopefully future Mayors.
The contest gives students a chance to creatively use cognitive and grade-specific language arts skills and civics/social studies language.
Entries will be judged based upon originality and appropriateness to the theme: What the writer would try to accomplish as Mayor of their city or town and what they would do to make it happen. Essays must display an understanding of the Mayor’s position. Grammar, legibility, and spelling will also be considered by the judges.
This year, we are asking that each school select a winner at the local level.
Three winners will be selected for the following prizes:
1st Place – $250 (with a $250 stipend going to the student’s teacher)
2nd Place – $150
3rd Place – $100
Winners will be awarded at the Annual Congress of Mayors, February 7, 2025 at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
ESSAY CONTEST RULES
Be creative with your ideas!
The contest is open to all Oklahoma students enrolled in the 8th grade in home, public, and private schools during the 2024-2025 school year.
Essays must address the subject with the opening line beginning: “If I Were Mayor, I Would ...”
Essays may not exceed 250 words.
Only the winning essay may be submitted from each school.
Essays will be judged in the following areas:
Knowledge about municipal government and the role of a Mayor,
Proper grammar, legibility, spelling, and creativity.
Students must include their first and last names, school and teacher or parent’s name at the top of their essays.
Essays must be received no later than January 10, 2025.