Each year, the VFW Post 51 and the Ladies Auxiliary sponsor two scholarship contests at the Post level. The scholarship contests are the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy (VOD) The winning entries of these contests move up to the District Level for further judging. The two contests are detailed below. To view the transcripts of the 2011-2012 VFW Post 51 winning entries, see the links to the left under the section header.
Patriot’s Pen
2012-2013 Theme:
“What I Would Tell America’s
Founding Fathers.”
Entry Deadline:
November 1, 2012
Patriot’s Pen, a youth-essay writing contest endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ contest criteria, is a nationwide competition that gives students in grades 6, 7 and 8 the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy. Annually, more than 115,000 students participate in the annual contest.
Contestants write a 300-400 word essay based on an annual patriotic theme. The first-place winner receives a $10,000 savings bond and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. The top national winners each receive a savings bond anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.
For more information and entry form, visit: Patriot’s Pen – National VFW Website
Voice of Democracy
2012-2013 Theme:
““Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?”
Entry Deadline:
November 1, 2012
The Voice of Democracy, endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ contest criteria, is an audio essay contest for high school students in grades 9-12. The annual contest, which is designed to foster patriotism, allows students the opportunity to voice their opinion in a three to five minute essay based on an annual theme.
Created in 1947, the scholarship program annually provides more than $3 million in scholarships. Each Department’s first-place winner receives an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., plus the opportunity to compete for national scholarships. The first-place national winner receives a $30,000 scholarship.
For more information and entry form, visit: Voice of Democracy – National VFW Website
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