PNW District Optimist Clubs: Plan now for the Optimist International Scholarship Contests

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Plan now for the Optimist International Scholarship Contests

This weekend is that last long weekend of the summer. As we celebrate Labor Day with a camping trip or backyard barbecue, the children know that the school year is really, truly underway. For Optimist Clubs, and frazzled parents, that's a good thing. Many Optimist Clubs go into overdrive with their programs when their target audiences are easy to reach.

Now is the time to reach out to those students, teachers and parents with some of Optimist International's longest running programs. The scholarship contests connect students with caring adults, teach communication skills and helps participants, even at an early age, prepare for college and the future.

We begin with the Optimist International Essay Contest. The theme this year is "How Dreams Lead to Success." Optimist Clubs set their own timelines for the contest with the knowledge that their entries must be received by the district chair by February 28, 2014.

Following quickly behind the Essay Contest are the Optimist International Oratorical Contest and the Optimist International Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. For these contests, students will speak or sign to the topic, "How My Passions Impact the World." Zone and regional contests will be set by area lt. governors to be completed in time for the winners to advance to the finals at the Third Quarter PNW District Meeting in May.

While it may seem early to some to prepare these contests now, it's not! It is so important get on the teachers' radar screen. Ask to talk to the students directly and prepare and distribute this flyer. Often. And again. Hand out the flyer at every event that your Optimist Club sponsors. That will generate interest, word of mouth marketing and more participants for your club.