Share your best ideas to make Coos Bay even better—through art, writing, or video. Local winners advance to the statewide Oregon Mayors Association competition. 

The City of Coos Bay invites students in grades 4–12 to imagine what they would do if they were mayor. Create a poster, write an essay, or produce a short video explaining your ideas for improving our community. Local winners receive prizes and are forwarded to the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) for statewide judging and cash awards.

Categories & Prizes

• Elementary (Grades 4–5) – Poster
  • Design a poster that shows what you would do as mayor. Use drawings, captions, and labels to make your ideas pop.
  • Accepted formats: PNG, JPG, or PDF
  • Local prize: Gift certificate + certificate
    Statewide prize: $500 for 1st, $300 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd
• Middle School (Grades 6–8) – Essay
  • Write a 400–800 word essay that explains your top ideas and how City Hall could make them happen.
  • Accepted formats: DOCX, PDF, PPTX, or online essay link
  • Local prize: Gift certificate + certificate
    Statewide prize: $500 for 1st, $300 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd
• High School (Grades 9–12) – Digital Media
  • Create a short video or multimedia presentation that persuades viewers your idea will improve Coos Bay.
  • Accepted formats: MP4 (≤ 2 minutes) or link (YouTube/Vimeo/Drive)
  • Local prize: Gift certificate + certificate
    Statewide prize: $500 for 1st, $300 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd

Timeline

• January 2026: Contest launch through schools, library, and city channels.
• February 2026: Classroom visits, City Hall display, and social media spotlights.
• March 10, 2026: Local deadline to submit entries to the City of Coos Bay.
• March 17, 2026: Judging panel selects one local winner per category.
• April 1, 2026: City forwards local winners to OMA for statewide judging.
• May–June 2026: Winners recognized at a City Council meeting; statewide announcements by OMA.

How to Submit

1. Prepare your entry using the accepted formats for your grade level.
   • Paper entries are welcome; City staff can help digitize if needed.
   • Ask a teacher to sponsor you.
2. Save your entry with the file name formatted as School_StudentLast_First_Grade_Category (e.g., Marshfield_Doe_Jane_10_Video.mp4).
3. Download and fill out the OMA Official Entry Form.
   • LOCAL entry deadline date is March 10, 2026
   • CITY email address to send entry to is grants@coosbayor.gov
4. Email your entry to grants@coosbayor.gov.
   • Attach your file. If the file is large, share a cloud link (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.) with view permissions.
   • Attach the completed OMA Official Entry Form.
   • Your email must include:
     • student name/grade/school;
     • teacher name/email;
     • parent/guardian contact;
     • title of your work.
   • Entry deadline is March 10, 2026.
5. By submitting, you grant the City permission to display your work on city channels. If a student appears in a video, ensure parent/guardian consent has been obtained.

A panel of judges will select one winner for each category to submit to the state competition. The judging panel includes the Mayor, a City Councilor, and representatives from the Coos Bay Public Library and Coos Bay Public Schools.

What makes a great entry?

• Creativity & originality – your voice, your ideas
• Clarity – easy to understand, well organized
• Civic understanding – shows how city government works
• Community impact – who benefits and how
• Quality – polished visuals, writing, or editing

See last year's state winners for inspiration.

OMA Contest Information, English

OMA Contest Information, Spanish