Toastmasters to judge Optimist Club program

Optimist Clubs are in the throes of their annual scholarship programs.  Students in Canada, United States and the Caribbean are competing for prizes in essay writing and public speaking.  Deaf and hard of hearing students are also competing in the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

The topics this year are related to internet safety and correspond with the new Internet Safety Program launched by Optimist International in July 2009. 

This post is a nod to the inspirational speeches and essays that the students are presenting in their communities.  It is also a shout-out to the many people who collaborate to make the contests successful.  Optimist Clubs rely on schools, teachers, counselors and parents to get the word to the children to participate.  They rely on business people, university faculty, journalists and other professionals to help with judging.  And some even rely on other community organizations to assist.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the West St. Paul Optimist Club is collaborating with the Toastmasters to judge the oratorical contestants and help send them on to the next level with a well-rounded critique. 

Students can earn up to $2,500 in scholarships for public speaking and $6,000 for the Optimist International Essay Contest.