NEW! – Optimist International Regional/World Championship Oratorical Contest
Topic: “How My Optimism Will Help Me Press On To ‘Greater Achievements of the Future’”
Who: Students under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent and who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean.
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, please e-mail the Programs Department at [email protected].
When:
Oratorical Contest Quick Links
Contest Application
Club Planning Guide
District Planning Guide
Kids Speak Out
Students
The deadline to enter is determined by the sponsoring Optimist Club. All Club-level contests are typically held by late March.
Clubs and Districts
The District deadline to submit winners to Optimist International is June 15, 2015. Optimist International does not set Club/Zone/Regional deadlines.
For an application with contest rules, click here.
The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships funded by the Optimist International Foundations is awarded annually from this program.
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 two $2,500 scholarships or a first place scholarship of $2,500, a second place scholarship of $1,500, and a third place scholarship of $1,000.
Information for Optimist Members planning the contest:
All Members can now view and conveniently print planning pages for any International Program from your home computer. Click here to view the 2014-2015 Club Oratorical Contest Planning Guide. Click here to view the 2014-2015 District Oratorical Contest Planning Pages. To view the planning pages for any of the International Programs and Community Activities, please visit the forms and publications page.
Oratorical Contest Package – A Program Package for the contest is available by clicking here. Clubs can find useful materials to help them get started with the scholarship contest.
Support merchandise for this program can be ordered through Optimist Supply for US and Caribbean Clubs and from OptiPromo for Canadian Clubs. Contact information for both supply companies can be found here.
For additional information, please contact the Optimist International Programs Department by e-mail at [email protected], or call (800) 500-8130.
Certificates of Participation
If your Club or District is sponsoring a contest, certificates of participation can be presented to all contestants.
Certificate for Club level
Certificate for District level
Publicize the Oratorical Contest
Optimist International has developed a series of news releases that Clubs and Districts can use in connection with their participation in international programs. Below are sample news releases that Clubs and Districts can use to promote the Oratorical Contest. Please note that the .doc version enables users to type their information into fields*, while the .pdf files are for viewing only.
Oratorical Contest – Prior to event (.doc)
Oratorical Contest – Prior to event (.pdf)
Oratorical Contest – After event (.doc)
Oratorical Contest – After event (.pdf)
District Oratorical Contest with 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-place scholarships – After event (.doc)
District Oratorical Contest with 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-place scholarships – After event (.pdf)
District Oratorical Contest with two 1st-place scholarships – After event (.doc)
District Oratorical Contest with two 1st-place scholarships – After event (.pdf)
*If your Optimist Club or District wishes to use its own letterhead, you can remove the Optimist International logo in the document by opening up the Word document, going to “View,” then “Toolbars” and selecting “Forms.” When the “Forms” toolbar appears, click on the padlock, then click on the Optimist logo and delete it. For those using Microsoft Office 2007, click on the Microsoft Office button in the upper left corner, go to “Word options” and then select the box next to “Show the Developer tab in the Ribbon” and click “OK.” Above the document, click the “Developer” tab and then click on the “Protect Document” drop-down menu. Click on “Restrict Formatting and Editing.” At the bottom of the new window to the right, click the “Stop Protection” button.
Optimist International “Kids Speak Out” Club Contests
Optimist International offers Clubs a simple but spectacular way to get younger students involved in public speaking and prepare them for higher level Oratorical competitions. These contests are not backed by dollar awards but encourage students to develop speaking skills and prepare them for future Oratorical contests. Click here for more information on the Optimist International Kids Speak Out Contest and Planning Guide.
