2013-14 Scholarship Contest Topics Announced

The topics for the 2013-14 Optimist International Scholarship competitions have been announced:

Essay

"How Dreams Lead to Success"

Oratorical & CCDHH

"How My Passions Impact the World"

Clubs are free to run a club-level competition to select winners to move on to the applicable Zone, Regional and District level competitions. Clubs can award monetary awards of up to $500 per winner for some of those competitions.

Additional information is available at the following online information pages:

Essay Competition  ~  Oratorical (Public Speaking) Competition
Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Garnering interest in Oratorical competitions has been difficult in recent years so clubs may want to consider approaching elementary schools (grades 5 & 6) to start a "Kids Speak Out" program or club.

Clubs should visit our Programs Resources web page and click on the logo for the competition that they want to host to access the latest OI information for that competition.

District Essay Contest Winner Announced

The District Essay Contest is an Optimist International Scholarship Program and based on our District's response on this program I believe this is our most paramount project.  All regions of our District participated and we received a total of 18 Essay entries.  Many Clubs held local level contests and one club reported the upwards of 60 entries.  This is terrific news.  That means an approximate average of 500 Essays were written within in our District.  

I am pleased to announce that Ian Chang of Calgary is the District winner of the $2,500 scholarship.  The trophy presentation was made at the Calgary Dinner Club meeting on May 21st.

Now is the time to make contact with local schools to determine interest in running a local Essay Writing Contest for the youth in your community.  Refer to the Optimist International Essay Contest web page for information from this year as you plan for the 2013-14 contest.  The topic should be announced in late September / early October.

Submitted by Opt Brian Wallace, District Essay Contest Chair

2012-2013 Optimist International Essay Competition

Every Club in our District should be considering the Essay contest; correction every club in our District Must submit an Essay entry!

This is a great project for our youth, a chance for a scholarship of $2500 and a District plaque. I have already received some excellent Essays from Youth and look forward to the rest. The District Contest Deadline is February 28th. Please submit your clubs winning essay along with the completed forms and District Entry fee payable to the "AMS & NW District".

Topic: "How Can I Help My Friends Realize Their Value"

Who: Youth under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent.

How To Enter: Interested students must contact their local Optimist Club.

When:

• 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 ( Brian Wallace 780-487-6241, briankwallace@shaw.ca)  for more information.
• District Competition - Winners of Club contests are submitted to the District Essay Competition Chair for inclusion in this contest.  The District Contest Deadline is February 28th.  Please submit your clubs wiining essay along with the completed forms and District Entry fee payable to the AMS & NW District Judging normally occurs in March or April.

Essay Contest Quick Links:

Application form with contest rules - The application must be submitted to the sponsoring Optimist Club.

Club Information for this years contest

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. In additional to developing skills for written expression, participants also have the opportunity to win a college scholarship!

2nd Quarter District Conference in High River:  If you have already held a contest, GREAT!,  I will be accepting your winning Club Entry.  If not I will be holding a workshop at the conference.  The Essay Contest is one of the easiest programs to operate, takes as little as a couple hours to complete at a minimal cost.  

  

Please contact your District Chair (Brian Wallace, telephone 780-487-6241, email briankwallace@shaw.ca) for more information.  Additional details are available at:

• District Essay Contest Page - http://www.amsnwoptimist.org/essay-competition.html
• Optimist International Essay Contest Information - http://www.optimist.org/e/member/scholarships3.cfm

or e-mail the Programs Department at programs@optimist.org.

 

Thank you

 

Brian Wallace

AMS & NW District

Internet Safety & Essay Program Chair 2012 -2013