We have received the guidelines for the following contests from the Optimist Club. Please visit the website for the application: https://www.optimist.org/member/scholarships1.cfm. Winners are eligible for cash prizes and/or college scholarships.
2025-2026 Essay Contest
Topic: “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me”
Eligibility: Middle and High School students under the age of 19
Due Date: February 20, 2026
Point of Contact: Dawn Clark, 919-394-9623 dawnhclark@aol.com
2025-2026 Oratorical Contest
Topic: “The Moment I Realized I Belonged - My Definition of Community”
Eligibility: Middle and High School students under the age of 19
Due Date: March 17, 2026
Points of Contact: Maurice Nicholson, 919-394-5925 or Dawn Clark, 919-394-9623 dawnhclark@aol.com
2025-2026 Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Topic: “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me”
Eligibility: Middle and High School students certified to have uncorrected hearing loss
Due Date: April 7, 2026
Point of Contact: Gary Pender, 919-920-9190