Attention all Optimist Members, Contest Participants, Family Members, and Friends!
Here’s your chance to show your support for young, aspiring students! Join us for the Optimist Club of Calgary’s 2026 Oratorical Scholarship Contest Competition on Saturday, January 24th, 2026, from 12:30 PM to 4 PM. Optimists, family, friends, teachers, fellow students, and the general public are welcome to join us and watch the competition. It is free.
Ten participants under the age of 19 who have already pre-registered will research, write, and present a four- to five-minute speech on the topic “The Moment I
Realized I Belonged — My Definition of Community.”
Location: Fish Creek Library (across the street on the east side of Southcenter Mall).
The top two participants in this contest will be invited to compete at the 2026 Alberta Regional Optimist Oratorical Contest, which will be held sometime in April. For more information about the Oratorical contests, please see below.
Hope to see you on January 24th!
INFORMATION ON THE OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL ORATORICAL SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST
Beginning in 1928, the Optimist International Oratorical Scholarship Contest has become the longest-running program of Optimist International. The contest is designed for young people to gain experience in public speaking and provide them with an opportunity to compete for multiple post-secondary scholarships with a pre-assigned topic.
There are various levels of competition as outlined below:
- OPTIMIST CLUB OF CALGARY IN-PERSON CONTEST – Our club contest will be held on January 24th, 2026, at the Fish Creek Library. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place participants receive a cash award and a certificate. 1st and 2nd place participants get the opportunity to compete in the Zone Oratorical Contest mentioned below.
- ALBERTA ZONE CONTEST – This contest will be held in April 2026 (date and location to be determined) and will include participants from across Alberta. 1st and 2nd place participants will receive a certificate and the opportunity to compete in the District Oratorical Contest mentioned below.
- DISTRICT 13 ORATORICAL CONTEST (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, and NW Wyoming) – This contest will be held during the 3rd Quarter District Meeting on May 16th, 2026, in Saskatoon (location yet to be determined). There will be 6 participants competing at this event – two participants each from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana/Northern Wyoming. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place participants will receive post-secondary scholarships from the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation of $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively. The participant who places 1st will also be invited to the Great Plains Regional Oratorical Contest mentioned below.
- GREAT PLAINS REGIONAL CONTEST – This contest will be held in July 2026 at Optimist International Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. The 1st place participant receives a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to compete in the World Oratorical Contest mentioned below. Students may compete in person or online using the Zoom platform.
- WORLD ORATORICAL CONTEST – This contest will be held in July 2026 at Optimist International Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. The 1st place participants from each of the Regional Oratorical Contests across Optimist International will compete in the 2026 World Championship Contest. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place participants from this contest will receive a scholarship of $15,000, $10,000, or $5,000, respectively. Participants may compete in person or online using the Zoom platform.
PICTURES FROM A PREVIOUS OPTIMIST CLUB OF CALGARY ORATORICAL CONTEST
For more information about our other Optimist Youth and Community Programs and the benefits of becoming a member, check out our website at www.optimistyyc.org.
