Optimist International Essay Contest

“How Optimism Has Paved My Road to Success.”

The annual Optimist International Essay Contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as of October 1st of the current Optimist International contest year and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent. There is no minimum age for entry.

For this contest, students will prepare an original 700-800-word essay on the topic: “How Optimism Has Paved My Road to Success.” Although the work may be written to include the student’s own personal experiences, no reference can be made in the essay that identifies the contestant, parents, school, community, sponsoring Optimist Club or District. All essays are run through software to identify possible plagiarism or AI generated compositions.

Essays are submitted to the student’s local Optimist Club during January and February. The contest submission deadline is determined by the club in order that the essayists’ work can be judged; the place winners are determined; and the 1^st Place essay delivered to the CO-WY Optimist District Essay contest by February 28, 2025.

One CO-WY Optimist District winner will be chosen from the 1^st Place essays submitted by the participating club contests. The winning district contest essay will be announced in April and the student will be awarded a $2500 scholarship along with the 2024-25 CO-WY Optimist Essay Contest winner’s plaque.

Full contest rules are outlined in the 2024-2025 Optimist International Essay Scholarship Competition Application.

For more information or help determining your club contest location please contact the CO-WY Optimist District Essay Chairperson.