Who: Youth under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2019 (and is not enrolled as a degree seeking student of a post-secondary institution) in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. There is no minimum age. How To Enter: Interested students must contact their local Optimist Club. They need to submit an essay on the pre-assigned topic. To find out a contact, please e-mail the Programs Department at programs@optimist.org. Deadlines: All Club-level contests are held by early February. Student submissions will not be accepted after the Club-level contests have closed. Please contact your District Chair for more information. The deadline for Clubs to submit their winning essay to the District Chair is February 28, 2020. The deadline for Districts to submit their winner’s information to Optimist International is April 15, 2020. 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.
