Optimist Youth Programs

Optimist International Oratorical Contest

Topic: Varies from year to year

Who: Students under the age of 19 years as of December 31 of the 2011-2012 school year and who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean.

How To Enter: Interested students submit a speech on the pre-assigned topic to their local Optimist Club.

When: The deadline to enter is determined by the sponsoring Optimist Club.

For an application with contest rules,contact us through our contact page.
The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships are awarded annually from this program.

Boardman Optimist Bike Tike
"Little Susie Safety"

All Summer. June July and August it's our ...
"Bicycle Safety Summer".
Any youngster wearing a "Safety Helmet" while riding their bike in Boardman could receive a "Sweet Citation" from a Boardman Police Officer. The Citation is good for a FREE SMALL DQ from the Boardman Dairy Queen on Market Street. Sponsored by The Boardman Optimist, Boardman Police Department and DQ.

Challenger Softball

We sponsor a team of Challenger Softball every summer at the Field of Dreams and at the end of the season play an Exhibition game with the kids followed by a summer picnic.

In the picture (right) last years Players, Coaches, Parents and Optimist Families gather outside the Ex-Serviceman's Pavilion at Boardman Park

This is one of our most Satisfying Projects.

International and Local Programs Conducted By Optimist Clubs World Wide

(The Blue Headlines Denote The Programs That Are Conducted by the Boardman Optimist)

Childhood Cancer Campaign

"Providing the Care...Finding the Cure"

Did you know that each year more than 12,000 children and teenagers will be diagnosed with cancer? Did you also know that one in every 330 Americans develops cancer before the age of 20? Because of statistics such as these, many Optimist Clubs participate in this program by building awareness of the disease, providing assistance for children and their families, and supporting research to find a cure.

In December 2001, the Optimist International Board of Directors established the CCC as the organization's primary focus program for the next five years. The CCC program model is built to accentuate four areas of service on which members can focus:

Support to children diagnosed and receiving treatment for cancer
Support to families and care partners of children with cancer
Support to healthcare and service providers
Support for cancer research

Tri-Star Sports Contest

Clubs focus on three skills competitions in each of the following sports: basketball, baseball, soccer, football, in-line hockey or ice hockey. These contests are the perfect opportunity for children to have fun while testing their skills in three areas of the sport of your choice. Each skill offers exciting opportunities to promote self-confidence and physical fitness, even if you have limited resources. Over 1,000 clubs currently participate in sports programs.

Optimist International
Essay Contest

Topic: “Varies Each Year”

Who: Youth under the age of 19 as of December 31 of the current
school year (December 31, 2011)

How To Enter: Interested students must contact their local Optimist Club.
They need to submit an essay on the pre-assigned topic.

When:
The deadline for students to submit essays is determined by the sponsoring Club.
All Club-level contests are held by early February.

For an application with contest rules, click here. The application must be submitted
to the sponsoring Optimist Club.

The Essay contest is sponsored by Optimist International to give young people the
opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live.
The approach can encompass a young person’s personal experience, the experience
of their country or a more historical perspective. In additional to developing skills for
written expression, participants also have the opportunity win a college scholarship
of up to $6,000!

The guidelines require that contestants be under age 19 as of December 31 of the
2011-2012 school year. Club winners advance to the District contest to compete
for a $650 college scholarship. Each District winner is automatically entered into
the International Essay contest where a panel of judges select the top three essays.
Scholarships are awarded as follows:
First Place - $6,000; Second Place - $3,750; and Third Place - $2,250.

Respect For Law
Promotion of Non-Violence

Inspire respect for the law among your local young people! In July 1965, a discussion between
Past Optimist International President Carl Bowen and former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover resulted
in the birth of the Respect for Law program. This is the fourth most popular program with more
than 1,500 clubs participating last year.

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