Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Optimist Oratorical Contest is scheduled for March 29, 2026.
Doors open at 12:30 p.m., with the contest starting at 1 p.m. in the old courtroom on the second floor of the Kosciusko County Courthouse, 100 W. Center St., Warsaw.
First- and second-place qualify for Zone Contest. Scholarship prizes for advancement in the national contest.
The theme is “The Moment I Realized I Belonged — My Definition of Community.”
First conducted in 1928, this is the second most popular Optimist International Program. Nearly 2,000 clubs participate in this program each year. The winners at the Club level receive medallions and Zone winners receive a plaque. Districts have the opportunity to provide a first-place scholarship of $2,500, a second-place scholarship of $1,500, and a third-place scholarship of $1,000.
The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships funded by the Optimist International Foundations is awarded annually from this program.
Youth under the age of 19 as of Oct. 1, 2025 (and is not enrolled as a degree seeking student of a post-secondary institution) in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean may enter. There is no minimum age.
For more information and how to enter, contact Letrecia Nichols at 574-265-5632 or by email at lnichols@joes-kids.org.
The webpage is https://warsawoptimist.org/projects/oratorical/
The deadline to enter is March 28, 2026, or when 20 entries have been received by the sponsoring Optimist Club.
