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SCHOLARSHIP ACADEMIC OPENING SOON

Optimist International Essay Contest

NATIONAL · VERIFIED AUG 2026
WHO CAN APPLY
Students under 19 who have not yet finished secondary school
ABOUT THIS SCHOLARSHIP

Optimist International runs an annual essay contest with a set topic, and club winners advance to a District competition worth a $2,500 scholarship. You have to be under 19 as of October 1 of the contest year and not yet finished secondary school. Entries go through a local Optimist Club, and you have to enter in the District where you live, which for Alberta students is the Alberta, Montana, Saskatchewan and Northern Wyoming District.

April 15 is the date your District has to send its winner to Optimist International, and the Districts send to that date every year. Your own deadline is set by your sponsoring club and is much earlier: club contests run in early February, and clubs pass their winner up by the end of that month. Contact a local club in the fall rather than waiting for a posted date. Alberta clubs sit in Zones 3, 5 and 6 of the AMSNW District.

HOW TO APPLY
1 Talk to your school guidance counsellor about this award.
2 Ask about internal school deadlines, which can be earlier than the listed one.
3 Submit your application through your school before April 15, 2027.
AWARD VALUE
$2,500
Applications go through your school.
DEADLINE April 15, 2027
Opening soon
VISIT OFFICIAL SITE
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