Topic for the 2020-2021 school year is: “Reaching Your Dreams by Choosing Optimism.”

Who: Youth under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2020 (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. Please contact Aiden McDonnell at aidenpm2@gmail.com with further questions.

Theme: “Reaching your Dreams by Choosing Optimism.” 

Essay Length: 700-800 words (Titles, footnotes and bibliography are not included in word count.) Hyphenated words count as one word. Words will be counted manually. 

Scholarship: The District winner will be awarded $2,500.

The winning contestant will be introduced at the district conference in May where he/she will read their essay.

Quincy Optimist Club is requesting students turn their essay with a copy of their birth certificate by Friday, February 19th, 2021. The essays will then be judged / scored and forwarded onto district by February 28th 2021. Our club will cover the $25 Entry Fee for the students. 

Click here for an application.

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 additional 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.