SCHOLARSHIPS
Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation PROVIDES FUNDING of the three OI scholarship contests. These scholarships are 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 and the Oratorical Contest. The contests are conducted at the Club level, then Zone and Regional (if necessary) and at the District level.
Oratorical Contest : District and Club level
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. The contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as of October 1st of the current Optimist International contest year (October 1 –September 30) and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent, including CEGEP students in Québec, Canada. There is no minimum age. Each winner of the District level contest will receive a scholarship for use at a college, university or trade school only. There will be three winners awarded scholarships of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively for first, second and third place.
Click here for more information.
Optimist Oratorical World Championships
The OptimistInternational Oratorical Worls Championships is held after the Regional Oratorical Contests. The winner of each Region (eight winners total) will compete for a $15,000, $10,000, or $5,000 World Championship scholarship. There is the potential for a student to win $22,500 or more in scholarships!
Click here for more information.
Essay Contest
The Optimist International Essay Contest give young people the opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. The approach can encompass a young person’s personal experience, the experience of their country or a more historical perspective. In addition to developing skills for written expression, participants also have the opportunity to win a post-secondary scholarship! Each year up to twelve scholarships of $2500 each are won by qualifying Canadian students.
For more information, Please visit this website.
Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH)
This contest offers an opportunity for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to present their thoughts in the community, gaining skills, which can only come from signing or speaking to a large audience. Patterned after the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the Communication Contest For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers hearing impaired youth the chance to compete in speech or sign language. The Optimist International Foundations fund a $2,500 scholarship for the first-place winner of each district.
For more information, Please visit this website.