Optimist International Essay Contest

“How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me”

The annual Optimist International Essay Contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as of October 1st 2025 and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent. There is no minimum age for entry.

For this contest, students will prepare an original 700-800-word essay on the topic: “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me.” Although the work may be written to include the student’s own personal experiences, no reference can be made in the essay that identifies the contestant, parents, school, community, sponsoring Optimist Club or District. All essays are run through software to identify possible plagiarism or AI generated compositions.

All participants must start at a club level contest. One CO-WY Optimist District winner will be chosen from the 1^st Place essays submitted by the participating club contests. The winning district contest essay will be announced in April and the student will be awarded a $2500 scholarship along with the 2024-25 CO-WY Optimist Essay Contest winner’s plaque. Full contest rules are outlined in the 2025-2026 Optimist International Essay Scholarship Competition Application.

For more information or help determining your club contest location please contact the CO-WY Optimist District Essay Chairperson.