Optimist International Essay Contest

“Finding My Voice in a World Full of Noise”

The annual Optimist International Essay Contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as of October 1st 2026 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: “Finding My Voice in a World Full of Noise.” 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 First 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 2026-2027 CO-WY Optimist Essay Contest winner’s plaque. Full contest rules are outlined in the 2026-2027 Optimist International Essay Scholarship Competition Application coming soon.

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