Submission deadline is February 6

MEDIA RELEASE__This contest is sponsored by Optimist International to give young people room to develop their own views around a central idea. In addition to the opportunity for written expression,  participants have the chance to win a college scholarship.

How to Enter  
Interested students should submit essays on the assigned topic to their local Optimist Club. The  essays are judged at the Club level and District level. All Club submissions will be run through a  plagiarism checker before being forwarded to the next level.  

Eligibility and Qualifications  
1. The contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2025 and who  have not yet completed secondary school. There is no minimum age. U.S. contestants  attending school on a military installation outside the United States are eligible to enter in  their last U.S. home of record.  

2. Contestants are eligible for only one Club’s essay contest during any given year. (October  1st - September 30th)  

3. No individual having previously won a District Essay scholarship will be eligible to compete  at any level of the competition again.  

4. All contestants at each level of the contest must provide age and identification from their  birth certificate or passport before participating. A copy of the document is only needed for  District winners.  

Length  
700-800 words (Title, footnotes and bibliography are not included in the final word count).  Hyphenated words count as one (1) word. Words are to be counted manually. 

Judging Deadlines  
The deadline for contestants to submit essays is no later than Friday, February 6. The winner will be presented with an award at the Lima Noon Optimist Club meeting on Wednesday,  February 18, 2026. The writer and their parents are invited to attend the club meeting and enjoy lunch. The write will be asked to read their essay to the club members. Their essay will then be submitted to the Ohio District Optimist no later than February 28 for further judging.  

District entries are judged and submitted to the Optimist International Programs Department no later than April 14, 2026. District winners will be notified by a letter from OI between April 15  and June 1.  

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 that 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.  

Judging  

1. Judging will be completed by a panel of three qualified judges who are not acquainted with the contestants. At the Club level, judges may be Optimist Members. At the District level,  judges must be non-Optimists. (Friends of Optimists are excluded and can be used as judges).  

2. In an effort to conceal the identity of each contestant, each entry will be anonymized and assigned a number by the Essay Contest Chair. The assigned number will be placed on the title page and page 1 of the essay. The title page will then be detached and retained by the  Essay Contest Chair. The judges will be given the essays bearing only the assigned numbers.  3. Judges will not discuss or compare essays being judged.  

4. Only judges can assign a penalty or award points.  

Guidelines  

1. The Optimist International Essay Contest is divided into two levels of competition: Club and  District.  

2. Contestants must enter through a local Optimist Club.  

3. Contestants must compose an original essay with limited guidance from others. Webster’s  Dictionary defines an essay as an analytic or interpretive literary composition. Works of fiction or poetry will not be accepted.  

4. All District-level contests must have a minimum of 3 contestants participating. There is no such requirement at the local Club level.  

5. Optimist International will have the right to edit, publish or otherwise duplicate any essay entered into the contest without payment to the author. 

Official Rules  

Each contestant must be given a copy of these rules and must complete the entry form. The rules contain information about the contest, judging and awards.  

Contest Rules  

1. Participants must write on the official contest topic.  

2. Each entry must begin with a title page containing the topic, number of words, writer’s name,  address, phone number, name of school and date of birth.  

3. The official topic must be at the top of the title page and at the top of page 1. (penalty of 3 pts)  4. Essays must be typed, double-spaced and single-sided. (Deduction of 5 points per each infraction – max. 15 pts.)  

5. Essays must contain at least 700 words but no more than 800 words. Every word of the essay is counted. This does not include the title, bibliography, or footnotes. Hyphenated words count as 1 word. (Deduction of 5 points for each 25 words over/under limit. Words are to be counted manually.  

6. Each page of the essay must be numbered starting with page 1, not the title page. The numbers must be centered at the bottom of each page.  

7. Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essay must be identified properly, using a recognized citation format. For example, identify use of a specific writer’s format (such as  MLA, APA, Chicago style). Failure to identify non-original material will result in disqualification.  

8. No reference can be made in the essay that identifies the contestant, parents, school,  community, sponsoring Optimist Club or District. (Deduction of 5 points or fraction based on degree of identification). 

9. An essay submitted in the USA must be written in English.  

10. The entry must be stapled together in the upper left-hand corner. Covers of any type are not accepted.  

Scoring 

Scoring procedures at all levels of the contest will be identical.  

1. Material Organization (Logical interpretation of the subject, adherence to topic): 30 points  2. Creativity – 15 points  

3. Vocabulary and Style (Phrasing and continuity): 30 points  

4. Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling: 20 points  

5. Adherence to contest rules (prepared in the proper format): 5 points  

Penalties  

1. Failure to list official topic: 3 points  

2. Failure to identify total number of words: 5 points  

3. Failure to type essay, double-spaced and single-sided: 5 points per infraction (max 15 pts.)  4. Failure to stay within the 700-800 word limit: 5 points for each 25 words over/under limit. Words are to be counted manually.  

5. Self-identification: 5 points or fraction based on degree 

Prizes  

Scholarships are awarded to students in the United States and the Caribbean in US dollars and  in Canadian dollars for Canadian students.  

Club level – Medallion or Certificate  

Clubs are allowed to give up to $500 monetary/cash awards for the Essay contest in addition to  the official medallions. The Club level awards may be given in the form of a scholarship, savings  bond or cash prize but are completely discretionary.  

District level - plaque and a $2,500 college scholarship for first place winners.  Scholarships are paid through the Optimist International Foundations in the United States and  Caribbean and the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation in Canada.  

Scholarships awarded are for use only at a college, university, or trade school.  All scholarships will be payable to the educational institution of the recipient’s choice, subject to  the approval of Optimist International.  

All scholarships will be administered by Optimist International.  

Winners of an Optimist International scholarship must claim their scholarship by the age of 25.

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