Submitted by Dayle Pieper
Each year the Veterans of Foreign Wars proudly sponsors a series of essay contests that award an all-expense-paid trip to Washington DC, up to a $30,000 scholarship to a high school student and up to $5,000 to a middle school student. Younger students can compete for cash awards in 3rdgrade, 4thgrade and 5thgrade contests.
There are no financial or academic requirements, so most students in 3rdthrough 12thgrade for school year 2018-19 are eligible, including home schooled. Besides the national prizes (minimum of $500), there are also cash awards at the local, district and state levels. Essays aren’t due to your local VFW Post until October 31st, 2018, so there is time for educators to incorporate these essays into their curricula and for students to use patriotic summer events to help them develop their thoughts for the upcoming school year.
For the 2018-19 school year, 9th-12thgraders will write/speak on “Why My Vote Matters”, 6th-8thgraders will write about “Why I Honor the American Flag” and 3rd, 4thand 5thgraders will all write on “How the American Flag Makes Me Feel”. Information for Voice of Democracy (high school) and Patriot’s Pen (middle school) is at www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth scholarships. Information for 3rd, 4th, and 5thgraders (Youth Essay) is at http://www.vfwwa.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp?pid=16325
Students in the Maple Valley area will submit their essays to VFW Post 5052. Coordinate delivery of essays via vfwpost5052@gmail.com, or P.O. Box 1491, Maple Valley, WA 98038.
