The Optimist International Oratorical Contest.
This contest began in 1928 and has been performed continuously since then. The contest is designed for young people to gain experience in public speaking and provides them with an opportunity to compete for college scholarships. Up to $22,500 can be achieved by the winner at the World Championships level.
The topic for the 2017-2018 contest is "Where are my roots of optimism?" Click here to download the contest application form with rules.
All students must begin at the Optimist Club level. Winners from the Club level advance to Zone, Regional and District competition, with the first, second, and third place finishers receiving $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000 respectively.
In the Pacific Northwest District - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia - Optimist Clubs are encouraged to complete their club-level contests in March and zone-level contests in April in preparation for the Third Quarter District Meeting and PNW District Optimist International Oratorical finals in Vancouver, Washington May 11-12, 2018.
