The Optimist Club of Kalona is encouraging area students to speak their minds about the topic, “Is Optimism the Key to Achieving the Dreams you imagine?” as part of the Optimist International Essay Contest for the 2022-2023 year.

The Optimist Club will judge the local students’ speeches based on content and

presentation to determine the top winner. The winner will receive a $500 scholarship to the school of their choice.  The winning speech will be sent to the Zone level, and potentially the District level, for the opportunity to win college scholarships. Winners of the District level will be eligible to compete in a regional competition in St. Louis, Missouri, at Saint Louis University.

Winners of the regional contests will compete in the World Championship, also held at St. Louis University. Students could possibly win up to $22,500 in scholarships!

The contest is open to students under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2022.

“As they prepare for their future, many of our local students need experience expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience,” Club President Carl Poe said.

“The Oratorical Contest challenges them to do just that, and also offers an opportunity for scholarships. In this way, our club hopes to bring out the best in each of them and help them achieve their goals for the future.”

The deadline to hand in speeches is 02/10/2023. Students wishing to participate in the oratorical contest can find out more about the contest by contacting the club at 319-461-9131.

The Optimist Club of Kalona has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for 54 years and has been active in the community since February of 1968. Other local programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include an Essay Contest, Photo Contest, Junior Golf Camp, Jack O Lantern Jaunt, and Community of Flags, to name a few.

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. The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually.

Carrying the Mission Statement, “By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves,” Optimists conduct positive service 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 www.optimist.org.