Please contact your local club for details and deadlines for the District Oratorical, Essay, and Communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Contests. The district’s contest applications are below.
Click the logo for general contest information from Optimist International.
Click HERE to receive details on how to enter locally.
The Essay Contest is sponsored by Optimist International to give young people the opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. The approach can encompass a young person’s personal experience, the experience of their country, or a more historical perspective. In addition to developing skills for written expression, participants also have the opportunity to win a college scholarship!
Club winners advance to the District contest to compete for a $2,500 college scholarship. The District-level scholarships are funded by the Optimist International Foundations.
The topic for the 2023-2024 school year is: “Optimism: How It Connects Us”
Note: Essays are due in hard copy to the Essay Chair no later than Feb. 28th (each year).
The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships funded by the Optimist International Foundations is awarded annually from this program.
First conducted in 1928, this is the second most popular Optimist International Program. Nearly 2,000 clubs participate in this program each year. The winners at the Club level receive medallions and Zone winners receive a plaque. Districts have the opportunity to provide a first-place scholarship of $2,500, a second-place scholarship of $1,500, and a third-place scholarship of $1,000.
The topic for the 2023-2024 school year is: “How to Change the World with Optimism”
The Optimist Junior Golf Program is an exciting and unique junior golf program for ages 10-18 and is one of the largest and well-renowned junior golf tournaments in the world.
This contest is designed to offer young people who are
deaf or hard of hearing the opportunity to present their
thoughts in a public forum. This experience helps contestants
develop the skills and confidence to present in sign or orally
to a large audience. The program also provides a valuable
opportunity to compete for a $2,500 college scholarship.
The topic for the 2023-2024 school year is: “How to Change the World with Optimism”
Indiana North District Optimists 