Students have until Friday, Feb. 18, to turn in submissions for the 2022 annual Eden Prairie Optimist Club essay contest.
Participants are encouraged to contemplate the phrase, “How does an optimistic mindset change my tomorrow?” as part of the Optimist International Essay Contest. It’s open to any area students under 19 as of Oct. 1, 2021.
The contest includes three age categories, with the essays judged separately in each age group. The club will be awarding Barnes & Noble gift cards for first-, second-, and third-place winners in each age group. The winner in the top age group moves on to further district competition to compete for a $2,500 scholarship.
Essays should be 700 to 800 words.
Winning essays will be announced by Monday, Feb. 28. Due to COVID-19, the club will not be having a live award reception honoring winners.
“Young students today have so many fresh ideas about the world and their future,” said Dave Foulke, the Eden Prairie club president. “As Optimists, it is our goal to encourage them and do what we can to bring out the best in each of them. This gives them a wonderful opportunity to tap into their creativity and pursue possible scholarships at the same time.”
For more information, visit the club’s Facebook event page. The application can be found here.
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