The Newmarket Optimist Club is asking youth to talk about the bright side of life for its annual international scholarship contest.
The club is offering scholarships for essay writing, speech giving, and communication for the deaf and hard of hearing. Entrants could get club prizes between $100 to $250, with a chance to compete for larger prizes at a district level. The contest is for youth aged 19 and younger as of Oct. 1, 2021.
This year’s messages include “how does an optimistic mindset change my tomorrow” for writing and "staying optimistic in challenging times'' for speeches. Spokesperson Cindy Crone said the pandemic has been difficult, but there are brighter things we can focus on.
“Look toward the future, and what we have to look forward to. But also a little bit of optimism about some of the family dynamics that we’ve seen develop,” she said. “We value our time with our friends and families more than we did. We value that they're basically still living, still able to communicate with us."
The contests include a 700 to 800-word essay or a four to five-minute speech. The club is offering $250, $150, and $100 for first, second, and third place in each category, with submissions getting forwarded to zone and regional judges for a chance to compete at higher levels.
The contests are a historic part of Optimist Clubs, with the speech competition dating back to 1928.
Crone said it is a good opportunity for young students to learn better speaking skills.
“They get the opportunity to do a speaking competition, which isn’t always available at the school level anymore,” she said. “It allows them to create an opportunity for leadership where they can speak to their peers, they can speak to their elders, and they can get more experience in that area, which a lot of them need.”
She said they have yet to get any entries and usually only have a few responses. She said anyone who submits would have a strong chance to win one of the prizes.
“We’d love to see lots of kids participate and get involved,” she said. “Focusing on that optimistic and optimism mindset right now is super important, especially for mental well-being. I think it helps kids think of the positive things.”
You can contact [email protected] to enter all three categories. Entries for the essay contest are due by Feb. 16, and speech contest entries are due March 11. Entries for the deaf and hard of hearing speech contest are due May 1. Official rules are available at optimist.org.
