Scholarship Contest
Optimist International sponsors several scholarship contests for students to earn money to pursue opportunities in higher education. Fort Smith Optimist Club participates in the Essay Contest and the Oratorical Contest. The contests are conducted at the Club level, then Zone and Regional (if necessary) and at the District level. The Essay Contest also has an International-level competition. District- and International-level scholarships are funded by the Optimist International Foundations and awarded by Optimist International.
Oratorical Contest
As Optimist International�s oldest program, this contest allows young adults to gain experience in public speaking, using a pre-assigned topic. Optimist Districts provide scholarships in varying amounts to winners at that level, as well as a cash prize provided by our local club. Fort Smith Optimist has sent several winners on to 1st place positions at the district level, most recently the District winner for 2008-09.
The Oratorical Contest is open to students under the age of 16 as of December 31 of the current school year. Students are required to prepare a 4- to 5-minute speech on the assigned topic. This contest provides young people with a great opportunity to gain experience preparing and giving a public talk.
Interested students or teachers should contact the club and we will be glad to provide more information on topics and deadlines.
Essay Contest
For this contest students are asked to write about their opinions regarding the world in which they live. Winners at the local club level can go on to District and also International level competition, with scholarship amounts increasing as they climb the ladder. One scholarship of $2,500 per District and 3 International-level scholarships of up to $6,000 are awarded by Optimist International each year.
This contest requires students under the age of 19 to compose a 400- to 500-word essay around a central idea to develop their writing and critical thinking skills. Contact our club for more details regarding the OI Essay contest and theme for this year.
