Team VFW and Auxiliary; I'm looking to add more judges
for all three national programs. Below are the links for each to sign up
or nominate someone to be a judge. The first requirement is that a judge
must possess the willingness & the ability to utilize our online VFW
ScholarsApp portal. Training will be provided and available if selected.
Patriot's Pen Judge
Questionnaire - Formstack
VOD Judge Questionnaire -
Formstack
Teacher of Year Judge
Questionnaire - Formstack
Please
share this far and wide much like the Buddy Poppy judges. Thanks for your
support. Please direct all questions to me.
Lynn W. Rolf III
Programs Director
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
406 W 34th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
o:816.968.1116 C: 913.290.1754
to schedule a Teams meeting or phone call via https://calendly.com/lrolf
VFW Launches 79th Annual Youth
Scholarship Contests
Middle and high school students compete for share of awards totaling nearly
$2.4 million
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 12, 2025) – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is now accepting
entries for its 79th annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth
scholarship competitions. The 2025-2026 theme asks America’s students "How Are
You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?”
Established in 1947, the VFW’s
Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay competitions were created to
encourage a better understanding and appreciation for America and to foster
patriotism among the nation’s youth. The programs also offer friendly competition
as well as reward success in the form of individual scholarships and awards
totaling nearly $2.4 million at the national, state and local levels.
The Voice of Democracy
audio-essay competition is open to high school students in ninth through 12th
grades and comes with a national first place prize scholarship totaling
$35,000. More than 26,000 high school students worldwide compete in the
competition each year for their share of more than $170,000 in national awards.
First place Voice of Democracy
Department (state) winners will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to
attend a Founding
Forward Spirit of America Youth Leadership program at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Through this inspiring four-day program, students experience mock congressional
debates, participate in a free enterprise challenge, visit historical sites,
and engage in interactive educational activities.
The VFW’s Patriot’s Pen essay
contest is open to eligible sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, with
middle schoolers competing for their share of nearly $1 million in local, state
and national awards and prizes. The national first place winner receives a
$5,000 award. More than 60,600 students participate annually in the
competition.
Student entries may be submitted
(along with a completed entry form) to their local participating VFW Post. The
deadline for both contests is Oct. 31, 2025.
Read
more about the contests, or submit your essay and entry form at your local
participating VFW
Post.
-vfw-
About the VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of
the U.S. 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 the active, Guard and
Reserve forces. With more than 1.4 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in
nearly 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is
proud to proclaim "NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is
dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and
community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website
at vfw.org.
Media Contact: Randi K. Law,
marketing communications senior director, rlaw@vfw.org
