Kids say the darndest things

Kids say the darndest things. Or maybe they say the most brilliant statements that can be made. I found this post on the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna's Facebook page today and just had to share. According to the post, a contestant in the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) said, "Confidence with optimism is better than just confidence."

It's rather difficult to argue with that kind of logic!

If you would like to experience optimism through the eyes of children and young adults, I invite you to join an Optimist Club. Each year, Optimist Clubs host Essay, Oratorical and CCDHH contests for students to compete and earn scholarship money. It's a bonus for members to hear their voices, ideas and dreams.

At the club level, winning amounts are determined by the individual club. From each club, a contestant moves forward to zone and district competition. At that level, each first place winner earns a $2,500 scholarship.

Coming in 2016, Optimist International has partnered with St. Louis University to host an expanded Optimist International Oratorical Contest. Each first place district winner will move forward to a regional competition where they may win $10,000. The first place winners of the eight regions will then move forward to compete for an additional $15,000.

Details of the new competition levels are still being completed and we are excited for the expansion; however, every level of competition in an Optimist International scholarship contest gives the participant poise, confidence and hope. We encourage every teacher to involve their classes in this opportunity, but students, don't wait. You can enter with or without formal classroom involvement. Find out more about the Optimist International Scholarship Contests.  New topics for the coming school year are generally announced in late July.

Another in the irregular series, "What Do Optimists Do?" Optimists give kids a voice--and it is worth listening to! At...
Posted by Optimist Club of Greater Vienna on Wednesday, June 17, 2015

If you would like to experience optimism through the eyes of children and young adults, I invite you to join an Optimist Club. Each year, Optimist Clubs host Essay, Oratorical and CCDHH contests for students to compete and earn scholarship money.

At the club level, winning amounts are determined by the individual club. From each club, a contestant moves forward to zone and district competition. At that level, each first place winner earns a $2,500 scholarship.

Coming in 2016, Optimist International has partnered with St. Louis University to host an expanded Optimist International Oratorical Contest. Each first place district winner will move forward to a regional competition where they may win $10,000. The first place winners of the eight regions will then move forward to compete for an additional $15,000.

Details of the new competition levels are still being completed and we are excited for the expansion; however, every level of competition in an Optimist International scholarship contest gives the participant poise, confidence and hope. We encourage every teacher to involve their classes in this opportunity, but students, don't wait. You can enter with or without formal classroom involvement. Find out more about the Optimist International Scholarship Contests.  New topics for the coming school year are generally announced in late July.

Earn a communications scholarship through Optimist International

Optimist International began a new administrative year today, October 1, 2014. Congratulations and thank you to all of the Optimist Club officers who have been chosen to lead in their communities around the world.

One of the first and most pressing items of business for all should be the promotion of the Optimist International Scholarship Programs. These great opportunities begin at the Optimist Club level and allow students and members to interact as the children improve their communication skills.

First up is the Optimist International Essay Contest. It takes place in the fall and early winter with the topic "Optimism Should be a Priority." Click here to see the complete Essay Contest rules and then contact your local Optimist Club to learn when your essay must be submitted.

In the spring comes the oratorical contests, the traditional Optimist International Oratorical Contest and the Communications Contest for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) students. The topic for both is "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to the Greater Achievements of the Future."

Click here for the Optimist Oratorical Contest rules.
Click here for the CCDHH rules. 

Remember, you must check in with your local Optimist Club for their submission and contest dates.

All contests award a $2,500 scholarship at the district level. Funded by the Optimist International Foundation, more than $150,000 is given away each year in the form of college tuition for students who have competed in an Optimist International Scholarship Contest.

If you are an Optimist Club, you may download the template for the promotional flyer here.

Optimist Clubs encourage good communication skills with scholarship contests

Can you believe it? Children head back to school in three to four weeks or less. While you scratch your head wondering how that can be possible, let me tell you about the Optimist International Scholarship Contests for 2014-2015.

All Optimist International Scholarship contests begin at the club level. Following rules determined by Optimist International and a timeline set by the district based on those rules, Optimist Clubs invite students to participate in essay and oratorical contests.

The theme for the Optimist International Essay Contest for 2014-2015 is "Optimism Should be a Priority." It is open to students under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent. Find out more, including a club planning guide here: Optimist International Essay Contest.

The theme for the Optimist International Oratorical Contest for 2014-2015 is "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements of the Future." It is open to 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. Find out more including a club planning guide here: Optimist International Oratorical Contest.

The Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) for 2014-2015 will also address "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements of the Future." It is open to students through grade 12 in the United States and Canada, to CEGEP in Quebec and grade 13 in the Caribbean, who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. Find out more including a club planning guide here: Optimist International CCDHH.

Now is the time to get the topics to your schools. Those who teach English, public speaking or theater arts, among others, may include the contests in their lesson plan if they know early enough about the topic and the scoring method. Counselors and others may also encourage students to participate. Get the word out there! Optimist International Scholarship Contests rock!

Students on stage for Optimist International Scholarship Contests

It is scholarship season for Optimist Clubs. The Optimist International Essay Contest has just ended and now the focus turns to public speaking as students are asked to complete a five-minute speech on "How my passions impact the world" for the Optimist International Oratorical Contest and Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH).

In Danville, Virginia, Optimist Club president Ken Boyer went to the local paper promote the club level contest. He said, “As they prepare for their future, many of our local students need experience expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience. The oratorical contest challenges them to do just that and also offers an opportunity for scholarships. In this way, our club hopes to bring out the best in each of them and help them achieve their goals for the future."

Indeed, communication has never before had center stage as it does today. With social media, we put our thoughts out for others to see daily via blogs and microblogs like Facebook, Twitter, and others. It is critical that our young people learn and practice formal research, writing and speech to complement their informal prowess.

All Optimist International scholarship contests begin at the club level. Winners advance from the club to zone, regional and district finals where they are ultimately awarded a $2,500 scholarship. One of the most exciting things about the program is there is no minimum age. Students can start competing as early as they want up until 19 years. Over the years, past participants have said that the process of preparing and presenting at each level and meeting new friends and audiences was as much fun as winning. Of course all could use an extra $2,500 for college, but it's rewarding to know that the experience is valuable.

Click to find out more about the Optimist International scholarship programs.

Click to find an Optimist Club near you.

Click to see photos of Optimist Club scholarship winners and program participants.

Photo credit: Prior Lake Optimist Club

NC Optimist Club creates memorial scholarship

There are many ways to recognized outstanding members of your Optimist Club or others who demonstrate the values in your community set forth by the Optimist Creed. The Balls Creek Optimist Club decided that a memorial scholarship was the best way to honor one of theirs.

This week, the Balls Creek Optimist Club announced the Larry Teague Memorial Scholarship has been established for any graduating student who has participated in an activity of the Optimist Club.

Mr. Teague was a charter member of the Optimist Club established in 1971. Over the years he served in many capacities including club president and he coached baseball and basketball in the Optimist Club sports programs. With this scholarship, the Optimist Club recognizes his service as a mentor and community leader as well as an outstanding Optimist. His memory will live on.

If you live in the Balls Creek, North Carolina area contact De Batchelor at the Bandys High School for more information.

Thanks to the Balls Creek Optimist Club for the photo. 

Youth is our thing

The  motto for Optimist International is "Friend of Youth." Optimist Clubs will typically use the same motto and more recently, they use the alternate tagline which is a shortened version of the mission statement "Bringing out the Best in Children." 

Of course some get more creative as did the Optimist Club of Christiana, Jamaica. According to Jamaica newspaper The Gleaner, "the Optimist Club has been creating a positive impact on the lives of people of the Manchester town, in particular the children, as they work at nation building."

Club president David Grant sums up the Optimist Club's work much more concisely. He said, "Youth is our thing." And a new motto was born.

Among its many accomplishments, the Optimist Club of Christiana has given more than $7 million in scholarships and works with the local schools to refurbish facilities, buy books and landscape the buildings for the beauty of the community.

Yes, youth is their thing. Yes, youth is our thing - the thing that binds all Optimist Clubs together in service.

Optimist Clubs promote communication skills for students

Optimist International has three scholarship programs in which Optimist Clubs can participate by sponsoring a club level contest. The winners from the club level contest then move forward to a zone, regional, and/or district level competition where the winning student is awarded a $2,500 college scholarship. Funded through the Optimist International Foundation, Optimist Clubs annually award more than $150,000. I'd say that is pretty awesome.

However, many Optimist Clubs choose not to host the Optimist International Oratorical Contest, Essay Contest or Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They say they have trouble reaching students. The challenge is both physical and mental. Often a club has difficulty navigating through the school district protocol and mentally, inspiring a 15-year old to write an essay when they might be doing, well, anything else, is not always an easy task. 

I want to take just a moment here to applaud the Optimist Clubs that do succeed in hosting these great events. By helping students develop their communications skills, you are helping in many ways that will benefit them throughout their lives. Learning to express ourselves, and to lift our voices appropriately and respectfully, makes for happier personal and professional relationships. You are helping children reach their full potential. 

For the Optimist Clubs that have been turned off by the barriers that the school systems may impose, some other outreach areas might be:

• Home-school students
• YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs or Community Center Classes
• 21st Century Grant recipients 
• Library
• Church
• PAL groups
• Hospitals
• Literacy Centers or Councils

The important thing is that you never give up. Students need this activity and when they visit your club to make their presentations, your club will find it even more rewarding than the students. I promise.

Photo credit:
(top) Caribbean District - Optimist International shared this photo of their CCDHH winners.
(bottom) Cape Gazette - The Optimist Club of Salisbury, MD shared this photo of their Oratorical Contest winners.

If you would like to see more winning photos, please visit the Experience Optimism Optimist International Scholarship Contestants  board on Pinterest. 

Optimist Club scholarships for future health care workers

Ron Klemann, President, Camarillo Noontime Optimist Club, provided the above photo of seven outstanding students who were recently awarded scholarships courtesy of the Optimist Club. There was an informational press release that identified the students, left to right, as Zachary Pedersen, Reyna Montoya, Ariana Reyes, Jordan Jennings, Kaytlin Kuns, Leah Ramsaier and Ariana Cortes. Not shown in the picture is Tesara Santora. Scholarship chairperson Joyce Amer is shown third from left.

Each student received a $1,000 scholarship in memory of long-time Optimist Club member Dr. Lynn Merrill Jones. They each presented a brief history and discussed their plans for the future. The recent grads are planning careers in health care. In addition to earning outstanding grades they were active in school activities and community service.

I was especially touched by the picture. The fresh faces and casual style of the students showcases hope and potential. Combined with their spirit of community service, they exemplify what Optimist Clubs stand for. Congratulations and good luck, students.

Thanks to Ron Klemann for the photo and story. 

An Optimist Club story found @Twitter

I can't say that I have ever seen 11 retweets about an Optimist Club project until today when it was announced that the Beaches Optimist Club had awarded a scholarship to a student at Florida State University Panama City. (FSU PC)

What's the big deal? 

1. It was the fourth endowed scholarship to be awarded by the club.
2. Each scholarship is renewable for $25,000 per year.
3. The value of scholarships endowed by the Beaches Optimist Club is $105,000 annually. 

The latest recipient is Jennifer White. She is the first recipient of the Optimist Club of the Beaches Law Enforcement Endowed Scholarship.

According to David Blanchard, President, Optimist Club of the Beaches, the decision to focus on law enforcement came from connecting two of the purposes of Optimist International: respect for law and supporting youth. It also comes at the 100th anniversary of the birth of Optimist Clubs in the United States. 

Thanks to Twitter and the NewsHerald.com for the story. 

Prior participants may apply

The school year is almost over and high school seniors are making plans for their next big rite of passage: graduation. But before they graduate, many are seeking scholarships. Some might say it's a last minute attempt to "cash-in" on their good records; however, Optimist Clubs seem to seek out students who may not always be the top candidate for a prize so that they can give them the recognition and a boost when needed.

Take the Optimist Club of Washington, NC for example. They have scholarships available for students with 2.5 GPA or better who have participated in high school or Optimist sports programs.

At first, I thought what? Rewarding athletes again? And then I looked at the Club website and thought, that is an effective use of their money. The Optimist Club of Washington has quite an extensive soccer program in addition to offering the traditional Optimist Club programs. By connecting with the kids through soccer, they are able to engage students in living an optimistic lifestyle, being good students and good citizens, and they have a pool of participants for the Optimist International sponsored programs.

It's only right that the Optimist Club returns the favor to those who have supported their programs throughout their young lives by awarding scholarships to them.  That's an optimistic thing to do.

Find out about the Optimist Club of Washington scholarships here.

Scholarship contests for students

Optimist International offers three separate scholarship contests for students through the age of 19. With school just starting, now is a great time to look at the topics and to plan to get your Optimist Club, classroom or child involved.

1. Optimist International Essay Contest: "How My Education is the Key to a Successful Future"
2. Optimist International Oratorical Contest: "If I Were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I Would Address Would be ... "
3. Optimist International Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: "If I Were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I Would Address Would be ... "

Every contest begins at the Optimist Club level in your local community, but general information can be found at the above links. The Essay Contest is completed in February and the Oratorical Contests are completed in May.

All participants have the opportunity to earn scholarships up to $2,500 while they practice their communication skills. Check the Optimist Club Directory to find a club near you. 

Respect me because...

High school seniors are anxiously looking forward to the end of May, the end of the school year and the beginning of their new lives. Many will go on to college. Some will find jobs. All will have a new reality in a few short weeks.

Optimist Clubs provide opportunities for children to develop skills to be good citizens no matter where they go in life. As an extension to that mission, the Daniel Boone Optimist Club of Douglassville, PA has offered a scholarship opportunity for seniors that encourages them to reflect on their personal development.

In order to apply for the $1,500 scholarships, the students must write 100 words or less that complete the sentence, “My classmates respect me because...”

Wouldn't it be grand if our students were encouraged to ask that question more frequently?

Miss Bixby Contest presented by the Optimist Club

Sixteen lovely young ladies are vying for the title of Miss Bixby, Oklahoma in the 31st Annual Optimist Club Miss Bixby Contest. The event takes place on Saturday, April 3, 2010, but so much goes on before the contestants take the stage.

In the weeks leading up to the event, the ladies practice; they participate in mock interviews, practice walking on stage with lights and using microphones, learn poise  and discuss fashion and evening gown appearance and their overall image.  It is more than a beauty contest; the Miss Bixby Contest teaches poise and helps participants develop character and presence.

And for the community... a $5 entry fee to watch these young ladies as they perform helps raise money for scholarships for students from the Bixby area.  It is victorious night for the community.  Best wishes to the ladies and the Bixby Optimist Club. 

Photo courtesy of the Bixby Optimist Club.

Another way to be a friend of youth

The Optimist Club of Keego Harbor, Michigan invites members and non-members alike to contribute to their scholarship fund.  For a mere $100, they will make you known in the community as a Friend of Youth.  All donations are tax deductible through the Keego Harbor Optimist Club Friend of Youth Scholarship Fund set up with the Optimist International Foundation.

In 2008, the club reported that more than $36,000 in scholarship funding had been given to 45 students since the fund's inception in 2000. 

Getting members involved in club activities is always important; but it is equally important to find ways for community members to make a difference through your Optimist Club even when membership is not an option for them.  Optimist International encourages a program that makes a Friend of Youth a member in a local club.  I like the idea of using 100% of a local donors money to benefit an actual program and the Friend of Youth Scholarship program does just that.

Optimist Clubs sponsor regional spelling bee

The movie Akeelah and the Bee made me think differently about spelling contests.  I had often thought them curious activities and fun to watch, but I never knew what went on behind the scenes where children learn words and etymology and practice among themselves to be the best.  The anxiety that they portray onstage lives with them for months and years. Winning is a monumental accomplishment of knowledge, poise and dedication.

The Grand Strand Optimist Club and North Strand Optimist Club and the The Sun News Educational Foundation of Myrtle Beach, SC helped one young speller advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., May 31-June 5.

David Habibi emerged victorious in the Regional Competition that featured 48 young hopeful spellers.  The winning word was ephemeral. 

Good luck as you compete David.  Thank you Optimist Clubs for advancing youth scholarship in your community

Elementary students compete in Brain Bowl

The Sunrise Optimist Club of Fort Morgan, Colorado recently hosted more than 130 children in the 4th Annual Brain Bowl.  Students in third and fourth grades  and fifth and sixth grades competed against each other to answer questions posed by the judges.

The Brain Bowl is team play format.  The first round consisted of 30 written questions.  They were followed by four rounds of oral questions.   At the end of the evening, two teams came out on top. First, second and third places were awarded in both categories. 

Shown in the contributed photo is the first place Third and Fourth Place team: Hallee Shaver, Kelsey Shaver, Merrick Adams, Jon Gertner, Simon Graff and Brook Kaiser.

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.