Topic:
"Discovering the Optimism within Me"
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 Club contests will be held in early March 2023, contact your local club. The District contest will be held on April 29, 2023
The 2022 Optimist International Oratorical World Championships will be held in the Summer of 2023. The Alabama-Mississippi Optimist District will have the exciting opportunity to send the 1st place winner of their District Oratorical contest to Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri to compete with the winners of the other Districts in our Optimist International Region for a scholarship valued at $5000. The winner of each Optimist International Regions (eight winners total) will compete with the winner from St. Louis University’s Global Region for a $15,000, $10,000, or $5,000 World Championship scholarship. There is the potential for a student to win up to $22,500 in scholarships!
Who:
Youth under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2022 (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 submit a speech on the pre-assigned topic to their local Optimist Club. To find out the contact in your area, contact the AL-MS District Oratorical Chair by clicking here
For an application with contest rules, click here. The application must be submitted to the sponsoring Optimist Club.
To find a club near you, click here.