Each year, in cooperation with the Okaya City Board of Education, OIEA holds the Okaya English Speech Contest as an incentive for students to improve their English skills and as a means of international exchange. Students of the four local junior high schools in Okaya City and the surrounding senior high schools present a five minute speech on a topic of their choice.

The 17th Annual Okaya English Speech Contest

Twelve students from Okaya's four junior high schools and ten students from senior high schools in the Suwa area took part in the 17th Okaya English Speech Contest.

Date/Time	December 7, 2008 12:00NN to 5:00PM
Venue	Suwako Heights (Okaya Comprehensive Welfare Center) Convention Hall 4-11-50 Osachi Gongencho, Okaya City Tel 0266-24-2290
Participants	Junior High School Division - 12 Students Senior High School Division - 10 Students
Topic/Theme	Free
Time limit	5 minutes
Judges	Head Judge: Member of the Okaya International Exchange Association Board of Directors
	Okaya Hokubu Junior High School AET Okaya Nanbu Junior High School AET Okaya Tobu Junior High School AET Okaya Seibu Junior High School AET Okaya Minami High School AET (2) Okaya Higashi High School AET Okaya City Coordinator for International Relations
Entry Restrictions	Participants may not enter a speech that has previously been entered in another speech contest. Also, participants who have lived in an English speaking country for more than two years since elementary school, may not enter.
Prizes	Champion (1 Junior High, 1 Senior High) Runner-up (1 Junior High, 1 Senior High) Special Excellence Award (1 Junior High, 1 Senior High) Okaya Board of Education Award (1 Junior High) Okanan Education Promotion Association Award (1 Senior High) Head Judge's Award (1 Junior High, 1 Senior High)
Organizer	Okaya International Exchange Association
Co-organizer	Okaya City Board of Education
Sponsor	Okanan Education Promotion Association

Junior High School Division (RESULTS)
Champion: Mahiro Yamazaki, Seibu JHS, "An old game, a new attitude"
Runner-up: Tomonori Hayashi, Nanbu JHS, "The last song"
Special Excellence Award: Marina Nakajima, Seibu JHS, "Regret"
Okaya Board of Education Award: Shou Osaka, Nanbu JHS, "Yes, we can have peace"
Head Judge's Award: Miki Hatanaka, Hokubu JHS, "My alter ego"

Senior High School Division (RESULTS)
Champion: Ami Yonekubo, Minami SHS, "No one but you"
Runner-up: Martha Froyland, Minami SHS, "The prayer of a young boy"
Special Excellence Award: Zilin Lang, Minami SHS, "My story of 2008 Beijing Olympics"
Okanan Education Promotion Association Award: Kana Ogawa, Minami SHS, "Drama"
Head Judge's Award: Maaya Miyoshi, Minami SHS, "Time"