The Optimist Club of Kalona encourages area students to contemplate the phrase, “Optimism: How it Connects Us,” as part of the Optimist International Essay Contest for the 2024 school year.

The Optimist Club will judge local students’ essays based on the theme of “Optimism: How it Connects Us” and determine the top winners. The first-place local winner will receive a $500 college scholarship and will be sent to the district level, where a $2,500 college scholarship is the top prize.

Students wishing to participate in the essay contest can find out more about it through their English/Language Arts teachers or by contacting Mary Jo Kraus, the local Optimist Club contact person, at 641-216-3891.

Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations, with over 80,000 adult and youth members in almost 3,000 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the world. Carrying the motto, “Bringing out the best in youth, our communities, and in ourselves,” Optimists conduct positive projects that reach more than six million young people each year.

To learn more about Optimist International, please call 314-371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at optimist.org.