Optimist Club of Sacramento Youth Scholarship Programs
Optimist International sponsors three scholarship contests for students to earn money to pursue opportunities in higher education:
- The Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH)
- The Essay Contest
- The Oratorical Contest
This year’s oratorical contest was held in February. The date of next year’s contest is to be announced in the Fall. Riley Burke from McClatchy High School won at the Club Level, Zone Level and the Regional Level! She is now moving on to the International Competition representing the Optimist Club of Sacramento and we are very proud of her speech.
The deadline for students to submit essays is determined by the sponsoring Club. The deadline for Clubs to submit their winning essay to the District Chair is typically in February. District entries are judged and submitted to the Optimist International Programs Department in April. District winners will be notified by a letter from Optimist International between April and June. Districts that would like their winner to be notified after their 3rd quarter District conference must submit a letter detailing this request to Optimist International by March 1. The District Chair should confirm the winner will not need to redeem their funds immediately. If a letter is submitted, Optimist International will not send a congratulatory letter or redemption materials to the District level winner until June.
Optimist Clubs are autonomous and participate in one, two or all three contests of their choosing. Prize medals and monies are awarded at the discretion of each club for first, second and third place. The top two finishers of each club advances to the zone level where the top two students from the zone contest advance to the regional contest. At the regional contest, the winner is awarded a $2,500 in scholarship money and advances to the national competition in which the first place finisher is awarded top money.
Contact The Optimist Club of Sacramento about upcoming program dates.
Check out upcoming events on our calendar.
