Local middle school students are invited to compete for scholarships and awards through the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) annual Patriot’s Pen essay contest.
The nationwide competition is open to students in grades six through eight. This year’s theme is “What a Veteran Taught Me About America.”
Entries must be anonymous and submitted to a participating VFW Post by midnight Oct. 31. Essays must be the student’s own work, and inappropriate use of artificial intelligence tools is prohibited.
Essays are judged on knowledge of the theme (30 points), theme development (35 points) and clarity of ideas (35 points). Students do not have to present their essays orally.
This contest advances through four different levels: post, district, state and national. Post winners advance to district competition at a rate of one for every 15 entries. District and state winners then advance to the next level.
More than 60,000 students participated in last year’s contest. State winners share in $55,000 in national awards, with the first-place national winner receiving $5,000. Other national winners receive awards of at least $500.
Students may submit entries directly to a participating VFW Post or participate through a school or youth group. Entries may be delivered in person, emailed with the post’s permission or submitted through the VFW’s Scholars App using a link or QR code provided by the local post. Entries sent directly to VFW National Headquarters will not be accepted.
To find a participating post, visit vfw.org/FindaPost. For assistance, contact VFW National Headquarters at 816-968-2787 or email youthscholarships@vfw.org.
