vfw essay contest form

PATRIOT'S PEN

2024-2025 THEME: 

"My Voice in America's Democracy"

WHAT IS THE PATRIOT’S PEN?

Conducted nationwide, this VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. We invite you to join the more than 73,000 students who participated last year in this contest.  

WHO CAN ENTER?

Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students enrolled by the Oct. 31 deadline in public, private or parochial schools in the U.S., its territories or its possessions; or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Home-schooled students also are eligible. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application which has not been denied) and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. (Foreign exchange students are ineligible.)

PATRIOT’S PEN Deadlines: The deadlines for Patriot’s Pen are as follows:

 1.     Midnight, October 31, Entries to the Post*

2.    November 15, Completion of Post judging**

3.    December 10, Completion of District judging**

4.    December 10, January 15, Posts need to submit report on dashboard to acknowledge that they participated in Patriot Pen*

5.    December 13, Email or fax a copy of your winning essay to the email or fax above*(Email preferred)

6.    December 15, District winning entry packet  with head shot picture of winner must be received by Department Chairman*

7.    January 10, Completion of Department judging**

8.    January 15, District participation reports to Department Chairman* District chairmen should roll up the post reports into one District report. All District reports must be received by 15 January and include the phone number and email address of the chairman of that district .*

9.    January 15, Districts must submit a report and approve post reports on dashboard to acknowledge that the posts and District participated in Patriot Pen*

10.  January 15, Department winners to National*

11.  January 31, Department reports to National*

  *required deadlines

**suggested deadlines

DO NOT mail District entries and required forms to State Headquarters!

Mail them directly to the State Patriot’s Pen Chairman!

Department (State) Awards:

First, second, and third place state winners will receive awards presented by State Chairman at the Mid-Winter Conference.

Click here to view the Rules & Eligibility Requirements:  Patriots-Pen-Rules-and-Eligibility.pdf

Click here to download the current year Entry Form:  Patriots-Pen-Entry-Form-Fillable.pdf

  Contact our State Patr iot's Pen Chairman for more information:

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VOICE OF DEMCRACY ESSAY CONTEST

2023-2024 Theme

"What are the greatest attributes of our Democracy?”

Student Entry Deadline: October 31, 2023

Patriotic Audio Essay Competition Grand Prize: $35,000 Award

VOD Entry Form

VOD Score Sheet

VFW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

At the turn of the 20th century, the founders of the Veterans of Foreign Wars created an organization that would honor and serve veterans and perpetuate the values and ideals for which those veterans had served.  Although men of vision, it is doubtful they could imagine the millions of Americans impacted today by the VFW’s youth, scholarship and recognition programs. Every year, tens of thousands of students nationwide participate in the Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition and the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest, garnering more than $3.2 million in scholarships, awards, and incentives.

Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition  The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) started the Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition in 1946. The Veterans of Foreign Wars became a national sponsor in the late 1950s and assumed sole responsibility for the program in 1961. Many notables have participated in the Voice of Democracy including journalist Charles Kuralt, Miss America Anita Bryant and former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. The Voice of Democracy competition provides high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to write and record an audio essay on a patriotic theme, competing for more than $2 million in college scholarships and incentives. Each first place Department (state) winner is brought to Washington, D.C. in March to enjoy our nation’s capital. 

VFW national Voice of Democracy scholarships have been raised $5k each, bringing the total national scholarship amount to   $171,000.  

1st Place $35,000 T.C. Selman Memorial Scholarship

2nd Place $21,000 Charles Kuralt Memorial Scholarship

3rd Place $15,000 VFW Scholarship

Deadlines 2023-24

The deadlines for both Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen are as follows:

• Midnight, October 31 ,  Entries to the Post *
• November 15, Entries received at your District
• December 15, Entries received at Department
• December 15 , District participation reports to Department Chairmen**
• January 15 , Department winners to National*
• January 31 , Department reports to National*  

Post entries are required to include: Typed essay, an audio file of the recorded essay (3-5 minutes, +/- 5 seconds), and a student entry form completed legibly.  Please refer to the student Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen entry forms to review the complete rules and guidelines.

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PATRIOTS PEN/VOD

2024-2025 

Voice of Democracy

"Is America Today Our Forefathers' Vision ?" Application

Student Entry Deadline: October 31, 2024

Patriotic Audio Essay Competition Grand Prize: $35,000 Award 

Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with an unique opportunity to express themselves in a democratic and patriotic themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 80,000 High School students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships.

Record your original 3-5 minute audio essay on a flash drive or on other electronic device. You will submit the recording, a typed essay and send the completed entry form to your local participating post.

Patriot's Pen

"My Voice In America's Democracy" Application

 Student Entry Deadline: October 31, 2024

Patriotic Written Essay Competition Grand Prize: $5,000 Award

Each year, more than 84,000 students participate in the VFW Patriots Pen contest expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. Students from the 6th, 7th and 8th grade submit an essay 300-400 words in length.  Department (State) winners receive a portion of $55,000 in National awards.

You will submit the typed essay (no colors or graphics) and the completed entry form to your local participating post.

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YOUTH ESSAYS

Youth Scholarships

The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $35,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.

Voice of Democracy

Established in 1947, our  Voice of Democracy  audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay.  Each year, nearly 25,000 ninth through 12th grade students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program. 

The national first place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins at least a scholarship of $1,000. Before submitting your essay, download the  2024-2025 entry form here  and find your sponsoring  local VFW Post  as applications must be turned in by  midnight, Oct. 31 . 

The 2024-25 theme is:  "Is America Today Our Forefathers' Vision?"

About the 2023-2024 winner ...

Sophia Lin, a high school junior at BASIS Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, was named the 2023-2024 Voice of Democracy first place winner. Sophia's speech on the theme, "What Are the Greatest Attributes of Our Democracy?" won her a $35,000 college scholarship. Sophia was sponsored by Scottsdale VFW Post 3513.  Watch as Sophia delivered her speech during the VFW's Parade of Winners award  ceremony or  read it here .

Want to catch up on everything that happened this year? You can watch the full  Parade of Winners ceremony  which was streamed live on Facebook, or  see this year's complete list of winners .

Patriot's Pen

Each year, nearly 68,800 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFW’s  Patriot’s Pen  youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of nearly $1 million in state and national awards. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000! 

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. Before submitting your essay,  download the 2024-2025 entry form here  and  find your sponsoring  local VFW Post  as applications must be turned in by  midnight, Oct. 31 . 

The 2024-25 theme is:  "My Voice in America's Democracy?"

Bryant Day, an eighth grade student from Ashland, Ohio, was named the 2023-2024 Patriot's Pen first place winner. His essay on the theme, "How Are You Inspired by America?" won the national first place $5,000 award. Bryant was sponsored by VFW Post 9943 and its Auxiliary in Mansfield, Ohio.

Watch as Bryant delivered his winning essay  during the VFW's Parade of Winners streamed live on Facebook, or  read  his essay here.  See the complete list of 2024 national winners .

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VFW Post 8870 and Auxiliary

Veterans of Foreign Wars – Edmonds, Snohomish County, Washington State

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VFW Student Essay Contest

VFW Post 8870 and Auxiliary > News > VFW Student Essay Contest

Author: Editor October 10, 2016

News , Newsletter Articles

Edmonds School District , Mukilteo School District , patriots pen , VFW Student Essay Contest , voice of democracy , Youth Essay Program

By Fred M. Apgar

Details regarding the VFW Annual Student Essay Contest have been distributed to all schools in the Edmonds and Mukilteo School District. Students attending private schools or being home-schooled are eligible to enter the contest. The Youth Essay Program is for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5, and an essay, not to exceed 250 words, should address the topic ”Why are men and women who serve in the military special?” .

Students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 are eligible to enter the Patriot’s Pen program in which a 300-400 word written essay is written on the topic, “The America I Believe In”.

“Voice of Democracy” is the third program, and it is an audio essay contest for students in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. To enter, a student must prepare a 3 to 5 minute recording that addresses the topic, “My Responsibility to America”. 

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three essay winners in each of the categories, and winning entries in each contest will be forwarded to the District level for further consideration.

Detailed instructions as well as an entry form, that must accompany each submission, can be obtained by visiting the Post’s web site at www.vfw8870.org . Go to the Community Support tab and click on Student Essay Program . You will be able to download the information for your grade level. All contest entries, along with the completed entry form must be submitted to VFW Post # 8870 no later than November 1, 2016. Youth Essay and Patriot Pen entries may be submitted on-line to [email protected] or they can be mailed to VFW Post #8870, PO Box 701, Edmonds, WA 98020. Voice of Democracy entries must be mailed to the Post.

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Students Participate in Veterans of Foreign Wars Essay Contest

As part of the Renton Prep culture, students are constantly reaching new goals by immersing themselves in new opportunities. On October 31, 2019, our students participated in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) essay contest. It was an excellent chance for them to express their voice and share their thoughts on important topics. We are proud to mention five of our students who won a place in the essay contest! All of the participants had a great time expressing themselves through writing and sharing it with other contestants. By and large, we are excited for many more opportunities to come.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5odpYtADNk/

Veterans of Foreign Wars

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization. Overall, it comprises eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard and reserve forces. Veterans of Foreign Wars dedicates itself to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. For this reason, they involve students in their mission. Since 1947, the Veterans of Foreign Wars offers premier scholarship programs. Every year, tens of thousands of students compete for more than $2 million worth in scholarships and incentives. Additionally, VFW offers youth competitions for different age groups.

• Voice of Democracy (premier scholarship program)
• Patriot’s Pen (youth essay competition)

Patriotic Theme

Overall, the essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. This year, the topic centered around what makes America great. Students submitted their essays with great detail and shared their perspective on the significant topic. Each essay is submitted without a name, intensifying the true impact of the message and taking bias out of the question.

Victory in the Patriot’s Pen

Patriot’s Pen is a Veterans of Foreign Wars-sponsored youth essay competition that gives students an opportunity to express their views on an annual patriotic theme. Last year, over 120,000 students from all over the country participated in the contest. We are so glad to mention that this year, some of our students became a part of that population! Three students from Emily Reis’ (intermediate instructor of history, social studies, and Bible) class placed in the Patriot’s Pen youth essay competition.

1st Place, Yohanna Tewolde

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Congratulations to 8th grader Yohanna Tewolde for winning first place in the Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest! Full of creativity and detail, her essay focuses on the impact that the Founding Fathers had on our great nation. To this day, America is in the same spirit of building democracy and equal rights for each and every person.

Our Founding Fathers have created the greatest country in the world by taking advantage of the entrepreneurial spirit. -Yohanna Tewolde

2nd Place, Alex Mengisteab

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7th grader Alex Mengisteab was the 2nd place winner of the Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest. We are so proud of the hard work that all students dedicated! In his essay, he shared about three qualities that shape our country: freedom, equality, and justice! There is diversity flowing throughout the country and growing together as one body. Supporting the idea of freedom, Alex states that what makes America so great is our Constitution, which allows us to each have individual rights and beliefs.

To live in the United States is a great privilege. It is something we all take for granted. America is known as “The Land of Opportunity.” -Alex Mengisteab

3rd Place, Samara Cooper

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Last but not least, we would like to highlight 3rd place winner and 7th grader Samara Cooper for her participation in the youth essay contest! Her essay dives into the influence of diversity in our nation. As a country, America is a land of democracy, immigrants, opportunity, courage, exploration, learning, family, and freedom, as Samara shares in her essay.

The cultural diversity of this country has a very positive impact on all of us. It helps us understand other cultures which includes their cuisine, their clothing, their traditions, their customs, and their way of life. This helps us have a better understanding of other people’s perspectives and lives. -Samara Cooper

Youth Essay

Only held at the local level, the youth essay gives students in grades 3-5 an opportunity to participate. Not to mention, two of our very own Renton Prep students also placed in the competition. Congratulations!

• 1st place Camie Konma, grade 5
• 2nd place Zayan Hussein Khan, grade 5

Renton Prep Moves Forward

Notably, it’s not solely the fact that our students engage in opportunities such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Essay Contest, it’s about the level of learning that comes with it. Focusing on the greatness of America opens students’ minds to appreciate the gifts that come with our country. It is a privilege to live in a place where freedom is at the heart of its entity. We must continue appreciating the value of our country and the privileges we are able to obtain because of it. To learn more about our vision for your child, contact us today!

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VFW Essay Contest for Grades 6-8: How Can I Be a Good American?

This essay contest for students in grades 6-8 encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme.

$1.2 million in Scholorships & Awards will be presented to local, state and national winners.

Soon after the end of World War II, America’s Greatest Generation believed it was important for the Youth of America to develop Writing Skills and a Love of our Country. The Patriot’s Pen program was born, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts around the Country promoted this project that combined Patriotism and Creative Writing.

TODAY: Download and Complete the Entry Form for Your Student, and have them Write an Essay about “How Can I Be a Good American?” (Print Entry Form or Save an Electronic Completed Form for emailing). Entry Form: https://vfworg-cdn.azureedge.net/…/Patriots-Pen-Entry (pdf).

Follow the Rules, and Submit the Written Essay (Without a Name on the Essay), which must not be less than 300 words or more than 400 words. Essays and Entry Forms will be numbered the same when received, and all numbered essays are placed in an envelope and the numbered Entry Forms are placed in another envelope. The Judges will judge essays by numbers.

RULES of Patriot’s Pens Contest: https://vfworg-cdn.azureedge.net/…/Patriots-Pen-Rules . (pdf).

SEND a Scanned Electronic Copy of the Essay (300-400 Words) to [email protected] along with the Scanned Copy of the Entry Form. Or Deliver the Patriot’s Pen Essay to 3850 Butler Road (Off Old Airport Rd, at end of Mt Pleasant, on the Neuse River) New Bern, before the end of the day (4:00 PM) October 31st, 2021 . The Post will be open that day for a Sunday Turkey Shoot.

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VFW Patriotic Essay Competition Deadlines Approaching

Student and teacher entries must be submitted through a vfw post.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is still accepting applications for its popular Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions, as well as its Teacher of the Year award.

In spiring patriotism within our nation’s youth has long been a top priority for the VFW, but with the Oct. 31 deadline fast approaching, time is running out to participate in this year’s annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen student scholarship award competitions, and the Teacher of the Year award .

As one of the top student patriotic essay competitions in the nation, each year nearly 40,000 high school students compete in the VFW’s Voice of Democracy audio essay competition for their chance to win their share of more than $1.9 million in educational scholarships, including the top national first-place $30,000 college scholarship.

With the chance to win a slice of more than $900,000 in Patriot’s Pen awards, more than 111,000 sixth through eighth grade students draft patriotic essays while vying for the $5,000 first-place prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

This year, both the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competitions challenge America’s youth to answer “What Makes America Great?”

The VFW understands that bolstering patriotism and encouraging civic responsibility often begins at the head of the class, which is why every year the VFW recognizes the nation’s top elementary, junior high and high school teachers who go above and beyond to inspire and nurture nationalism and civic engagement in their students. Don’t miss your opportunity to nominate a teacher who positively influences our nation’s youth.

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• India’s electronics industry is surging

Foreign and domestic firms are investing in local manufacturing

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T o witness India’s growing role as a manufacturing hub, dodge Bangalore’s notorious traffic and head north. Around 45km outside the city, amid the dust and debris of construction, Foxconn, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer, is turning 120 hectares of farmland into a factory that will produce around 20m iPhones a year. Foxconn’s plant will be the third facility near Bangalore dedicated to churning out phones for Apple, an American tech giant. The other two are run by Tata, India’s largest conglomerate.

Bangalore, home to many of India’s IT giants, is better known for its software than its hardware. However, the new factories suggest that, in one industry at least, India’s efforts to transform itself into a manufacturing powerhouse are bearing fruit. Electronics manufacturing—the business of building mobile phones, televisions and other gadgets—is thriving in India. The value of electronics it produced rose from $37bn to $105bn (3% of GDP ) between the fiscal years ending in March 2016 and March 2023 (see chart). The government wants to triple this again by fiscal 2026. Although India’s production of electronics accounts for just 3% of the global total, its share is growing faster than any other country’s.

Nowhere is this boom more evident than in the production of phones, which makes up nearly half of India’s electronics industry. The country is the world’s second-largest maker of the devices, trailing only China. In fiscal 2015 India imported almost four-fifths of its phones. It now imports barely any. Apple sources about one in seven of its iPhones from India, double what it did a year ago. Samsung, a South Korean rival, has its largest phone-making facility in the country.

Contract manufacturers, which build products on behalf of other companies, have been rapidly expanding in India. Foxconn, which assembles nearly two-thirds of Indian-made iPhones, now has more than 30 Indian factories and employs 40,000 Indian workers. Although its Indian operations account for less than 5% of its total revenue, the company is steadily increasing its investments. It has set aside $2.6bn for its Bangalore factory. Last year Liu Young, Foxconn’s boss, told investors that the several billion dollars it had invested in India so far was “only the beginning”. A steady stream of foreign suppliers to Foxconn and its peers have also set up shop in India. P w C , an advisory firm, estimates that the share of value India added to phones produced in the country increased from 2% in 2014 to 15% in 2022.

It is not only foreign firms that have piled in. Tata first entered phone-making in 2021 by building parts for older models of the iPhone. After initial issues with quality control, the company has found its footing. In November it acquired the Indian operations of Wistron, a Taiwanese firm, and began assembling iPhones. Tata now plans to expand its factories to nab a larger share of business with Apple.

Another Indian company benefiting from the device-making bonanza is Dixon Technologies, India’s largest domestic electronics manufacturer. The company, which began making gadgets for the local market three decades ago, has jumped into producing smartphones for foreign companies. It now employs 27,000 people, up from 2,000 a decade ago. Over the past year its share price has risen by 150%.

India’s electronics boom reflects a combination of the desire of Western tech firms such as Apple to reduce their reliance on China and the vast appetite of India’s 1.4bn people for whizzy devices such as smartphones. Generous handouts from the government have sweetened the deal for companies mulling production in India. In 2020 the government announced a programme of “production-linked incentives” for manufacturers in various industries, including electronics.

Sunil Vachani, Dixon’s boss, credits the government for its belief in India’s manufacturing potential, which he says has brought about “a change in the mindset” of the country. India’s government has certainly been busy wooing foreign manufacturers. In January it awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award, to Mr Liu of Foxconn. Pranay Kotasthane of the Takshashila Institution, a think-tank in Bangalore, says the government has been courting companies such as Foxconn to lure in “anchor investors” around which supply chains can form.

The hope is that India will one day be able to dislodge China as the world’s electronics factory. Narendra Modi’s electoral setback earlier this month, in which the prime minister lost his parliamentary majority, does not appear to have dampened enthusiasm for that goal. His new government has signalled continuity in its support for manufacturing.

India’s progress certainly looks promising. In the 12 months to the end of March, its electronic exports reached $29bn, up by 24%, year on year. Still, that is a far cry from the almost $900bn of electronics China exported last year. There is, then, plenty more to do. Naushad Forbes, an Indian businessman, argues that unless Indian firms invest in deepening their technical know-how, they will struggle to compete in more advanced areas like chipmaking. India’s reluctance to lower trade barriers with its Asian neighbours is also a hindrance. Import duties for the raw materials and components needed to produce electronics are typically higher than in other countries that are vying to steal production away from China, such as Vietnam.

For his part, Mr Vachani of Dixon is bullish. He believes that “this a Y 2 K moment” for India’s electronic manufacturing, a reference to the panic over a computer bug at the turn of the century that put the wind in the sails of India’s IT industry. Perhaps, in time, the term “Bangalored” could refer not, as today, to the draining of white-collar jobs away from America, but of blue-collar ones from China. ■

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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Powering up”

Business June 22nd 2024

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VFW Youth Contest Prizes Grow as Deadline Approaches

Entries for the voice of democracy and patriot’s pen contests are due by oct. 31.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is pleased to announce an additional $15,000 will be awarded to the top three Voice of Democracy national winners for the 2022-23 contest. The national first place prize has increased to $35,000, with second and third place national winners now taking home $21,000 and $15,000 respectfully.

Deadlines for the VFW’s annual youth scholarship contests are fast approaching. Entries for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay competitions must be received by a local participating VFW Post no later than Oct. 31.

Dedicated to encouraging a better understanding and appreciation of America, the VFW’s Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay competitions help foster patriotism among today’s youth. The popular contests also promote friendly competition and reward success in the form of more than $3 million in combined scholarships at the local, state and national levels.

The Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition is open to all ninth-12th grade students, with this year’s theme asking students “Why is the Veteran Important?” Annually, more than 25,000 students compete in the competition. Daniela Mare, a junior at Sachem High School North in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, was named the 2021-2022 Voice of Democracy first place winner. Sponsored by VFW Post 9486 and its Auxiliary in Centereach, New York, she delivered her essay in front of the Statue of Liberty during this year’s virtual Parade of Winners ceremony.

Open to eligible sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, this year’s Patriot’s Pen theme asks students to reflect and expand on “My Pledge to Our Veterans.” Syed Ali, an eighth grade student from Lafayette, Louisiana, was named the 2021-2022 Patriot's Pen first place winner. He was sponsored by VFW Post 1982 in New Iberia, Louisiana. He also delivered his winning essay at the annual Parade of Winner’s ceremony.

Student entries, accompanied with a completed entry form, must be submitted to a local participating VFW Post. The deadline for both contests is Oct. 31, 2022.

Find your local VFW Post , or read more about the competitions .  

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