VFW holding patriotic-themed scholarship contests
Marble Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10376 and Auxiliary are accepting essays and artwork from local students in grades K-12 for local, state, and national contests. Thousands of dollars in scholarships and other prize earnings are up for grabs, the Marble Falls VFW announced in a recent media release.
Entries in each category should be turned in to VFW Post 10376, 1001 Veterans Ave., Marble Falls, TX 78654, by the due date listed.
Contests include:
HIGH SCHOOL
Voice of Democracy — High school students create an audio essay with a patriotic theme. Each year, nearly 25,000 high school students across the nation enter to win a share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program. The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to their American university, college, or vocational/technical school. Other national scholarships range from $1,000 to $16,000. The first-place winner from each VFW department (state) wins a scholarship of at least $1,000. Applications are due by midnight Oct. 31, 2022. Before submitting your essay, read the rules and eligibility requirements at VFW.org.
Young American Patriotic Art Contest — Students submit an original two-dimensional piece of artwork that must have been completed during the current school year. Entries are due by March 31, 2023. Students begin by competing at the local VFW Auxiliary level. The first-place winner from each auxiliary advances to the state competition. First-place winners at state compete for a share of $34,000 in national awards. The national first-place winner is awarded a $15,000 scholarship. Download an entry form online.
Three-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest — Students submit an original three-dimensional piece of artwork that must have been completed during the current school year. Entries are due by March 31, 2023. Competition begins at the local auxiliary level. The first-place winner from each auxiliary advances to the state competition. State first-place winners compete for a share of $4,000 in national awards. The national first-place winner wins a $2,500 scholarship. Download an entry form online.
GRADE SCHOOL
Patriot’s Pen — The patriotic-themed essay contest is for students in grades 6-8, who will compete for a share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. Each first-place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level. 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 society in a 300- to 400-word essay. Entries are due by midnight Oct. 31, 2022. Read the rules and eligibility requirements online before submitting an essay.
Illustrating America — Students in grades K-8 can express how they see America through drawings and paintings in this contest, which has three divisions: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Winners in each division receive VISA gift cards ranging in value from $25 to $100. Entries are due by March 31, 2023. Find more information about the contest online.
ABOUT THE VFW AND AUXILIARY
The VFW is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from active, Guard, and Reserve forces. More than 1.5 million VFW and auxiliary members are in nearly 6,000 posts worldwide. Learn more at www.vfw.org.
The VFW Auxiliary is one of the nation’s oldest veterans’ service organizations. Members are the relatives of those who served in a location of foreign conflict. There are nearly 470,000 members representing all 50 states, Panama, Guam, and the Philippines who volunteer millions of hours and give millions of dollars to support veterans, military service personnel, their families, and communities.
Learn more at www.vfwauxiliary.org.