Welcome to the Colorado/Wyoming Optimist District!
Optimist International is a worldwide volunteer organization made up of over 2100 local Clubs whose Members work each day to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, their communities and themselves. Optimists conduct 65,000 community service projects each year spending $78 million in their communities. Annually, six million kids are positively affected by Optimist programs.
The Colorado-Wyoming Optimist District represents 35 Optimist Clubs in Colorado and Wyoming. These clubs work together as a district and independently to serve kids in their local area. The CO-WY District is involved in all of the Optimist International scholarship and charitable programs plus a whole lot more.
Our district also supports 21 Junior Optimist International (JOI) Clubs in elementary, middle and high schools whose members are working hard to bring out the best in their schools, communities and themselves.
Our Signature Projects
OI Scholarship Contests
Optimist International sponsors four scholarship contests for students to earn money to pursue opportunities in higher education: These contests are conducted at the Club level, Zone level, District level and International level with recognition and prizes at each level.
~ Essay Contest
~ Oratorical Contest
~ Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
~ Junior Golf
Please click here for more information:
https://www.optimistcowy.org/scholarship-programs/
Childhood Health and Wellness
Optimist International Foundation raises money and provides grants for Club and District initiated projects that improve the quality of life of children. These projects span a broad spectrum of needs including healthy lifestyle, chronic diseases, mental health and physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Optimist Brain Bowl
The Optimist Brain Bowl is a team quiz competition for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and is our district’s largest Optimist sponsored program with more than 500 students participating. For more information visit www.optimistbrainbowl.org.
Club Generated Activities
Bill Ashbee
2024-25 CO-WY District Governor
Greetings Colorado/Wyoming Optimists
My theme this year is “Let’s Become One” The intent is to meld into one cohesive unit each level of Optimist International (OI) which includes OI staff, the southwest region, the Colorado/Wyoming district, and all our clubs/members. This is a continuation of last year’s theme, “Connect with Optimism”. We are all OI.
While continuing to emphasize member engagement and growth, my goal is to promote more teamwork among clubs and with a special emphasis on club-district relations. I must remind everyone that our district volunteers are all members of the clubs in our district. I have asked my Lieutenant Governors to work hard on developing relationships in this area. Then, together, we can market our services to clubs. Our district committees are there to address areas of need. I cannot emphasize enough there is never an intent for any district optimist to “tell clubs” what they should do. Our intent is to always work in concert.
Going forward: Let’s continue to work on our membership growth and meeting the OI goal of +5% net while continuing to do all the fine work working with communities and kids.
I look forward to this Optimist year as Governor. I am open to all ideas. Please remember “Let’s Become One”.
Mission
By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves.
The Optimist Creed
Promise Yourself:
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
