Earn $2,500 scholarship in the Optimist International Essay Contest

Students are invited to participate in the 2015-2016 Optimist International Essay Contest. The topic for the 2015-2016 school year is "Lead by Example: Reality or Fiction."

Students must be under the age of 18 as of October 1, 2015 and live in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. In order to participate, they must contact a local Optimist Club. All contests begin at the local level and winning essays are then submitted to the District level where they are eligible for a $2,500 scholarship.

Students may download an Essay entry form here; however, the guidelines and schedule is determined by the club in their community. Click here to locate an Optimist Club in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington or British Columbia.

Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest District must submit their winning essay to the District Essay Chair Emma Ball by February 28, 2016. For more information please contact Emma at 360.669.3386 or download the club planning guide here. 

Themes announced for 2014-2015 Optimist International Scholarship Contests

Children head back to school in three to four weeks or less. While you scratch your head wondering how that can be possible, let me tell you about the Optimist International Scholarship Contests for 2014-2015.

As always, the contests begin at the club level. Following rules determined by Optimist International and a timeline set by the district based on those rules, Optimist Clubs invite students to participate in essay and oratorical contests.

The theme for the Optimist International Essay Contest for 2014-2015 is "Optimism Should be a Priority." It is open to students under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent. Find out more, including a club planning guide here: Optimist International Essay Contest.

The theme for the Optimist International Oratorical Contest for 2014-2015 is "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements of the Future." It is open to students under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent and who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. Find out more including a club planning guide here: Optimist International Oratorical Contest.

The Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) for 2014-2015 will also address "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements of the Future." It is open to students through grade 12 in the United States and Canada, to CEGEP in Quebec and grade 13 in the Caribbean, who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. Find out more including a club planning guide here: Optimist International CCDHH.

Now is the time to get the topics to your schools. Those who teach English, public speaking or theater arts, among others, may include the contests in their lesson plan if they know early enough about the topic and the scoring method. Counselors and others may also encourage students to participate. Get the word out there! Optimist International Scholarship Contests rock!

Support the Optimist International scholarship programs and you might win an iPad Air

The Meridian Area Optimist Club is a proud sponsor of the Optimist International Scholarship programs. It hosts the essay contest in the winter and the oratorical contest in the spring. This year it will also expand its offering to include the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

So they have a suggestion that will benefit  you and them. Skip Black Friday shopping and join them in this drawing instead for an iPad Air. If you win, you'll have a Christmas present sewn up. Your donation will benefit some of the best causes around.

Kirk Farnsworth, President, Meridian Optimist Club invites entries from anywhere. They'll mail  your tickets and prize, he promises. Just go to www.meridianoptimist.org or call 208-850-6729.

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.

Click here to download a Word document that you can modify with your Optimist Club information.

Click here to connect with the District Committee Chairpersons for the contests.

Click here to go to Optimist International. 

Time to promote Optimist Scholarship Programs

September! Now is the best time to begin promoting Optimist International Scholarship Programs. Get on your teachers' lesson plans today with the following opportunities:

Optimist Essay Contest: Topic - "The Power of Youth"

Optimist Oratorical Contest: Topic - "For me, optimism is..."

Optimist Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH): Topic - "For me, optimism is..."

Click on the links to find out more. All Optimist scholarship programs begin at the club level. Clubs are encouraged to attend the First Quarter District Meeting on October 31-November 1 to learn all about district deadlines, rules for submission and advancing in competition, and to discuss new ideas to promote contests in your community.

Students should contact a local Optimist Club to participate. Click here to find a club near you.