By Karla Pomeroy
Editor
VFW sponsors patriotic essay contest
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WORLAND — The Veterans of Foreign Wars have announced their 2017-2018 student essay contests.
The Patriot’s Pen contest for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, has a theme of “America’s Gift to My Generation.”
Patriot’s Pen is a VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. More than 120,000 students participated last year.
There are local prizes awarded, winners advance to the district, regional, state and then national competition. National winners may receive at least $500 with the overall winner awarded $5,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the student and a parent or guardian.
Essays should be 300 to 400 words. Contestants will be judged on the basis of their essay alone. They are not required to present the essay orally. Contestants will be judged on how well they understand, develop and present the theme. Knowledge of the theme is worth 30 points. Writers must show a thorough knowledge of the theme in their works and they must demonstrate they have researched the issue extensively.
For high school students, the VFW-sponsored essay contest is the “Voice of Democracy,” which this year has a theme of “American History: Our Hope for the Future.”
The Voice of Democracy has been the VFW’s premier scholarship program. Each year nearly 40,000 high school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives, according to a VFW brochure on the essay contest. Prizes and scholarships are awarded at the post, district, state and national levels.
State winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. March 3-7, 2018, to tour the city, be honored by the VFW and its VFW Auxiliary and receive a portion of $154,000 in national awards. The top scholarship is $30,000.
The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in public, private or parochial high school or home-study program in the United States. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.
Students compete by writing and recording an audio essay. The audio must be three to five minutes and recorded on an audio CD or a flash drive.
Applications are available at the VFW Post 2281 in Thermopolis 302 Broadway and at the VFW Post 3093 in Worland at 127 South Seventh.
Deadline for both contests is Oct. 31.
For more information call in Thermopolis 307-921-1150, or in Worland at 307-431-5073.
