Two popular essay competitions for students sponsored by Windham’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10643 are back and promise up to a $35,000 college scholarship to the national winner.
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| Windham VFW Post 10643 is sponsoring the Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy essay competitions for students in grades 6 to 12. The deadline to submit an entry this year is Oct. 31. COURTESY IMAGE |
The topic for grades 6 to 8 is "My Voice in America’s Democracy" and the topic for grades 9 to 12 is "Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?"
Goodman said that the Patriot's Pen essay competition is open to all middle school students from Windham and Raymond attending Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, Windham Christian Academy, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, and other public and private schools and home-schooled students, in grades 6 to 8. Middle school students are invited to write a 300- to 400-word essay about this year's theme and what it specifically means to them.
He said that the Voice of Democracy competition is open to all high school students from Windham and Raymond, in grades 9 to 12, including those who are home-schooled. Students are asked to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay (on an audio CD) on this year's theme and the meaning it holds for them.
“Students in the Windham area and surrounding towns are all welcome to participate and are given the opportunity to compete in these VFW annual essay competitions with a chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships in either competition,” Goodman said. “This VFW-sponsored youth essay competition encourages students to use their minds and knowledge of America’s history and their experience of today’s American society to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme.”
The first-place VFW state winner for Maine in each competition receives a four-day trip to Washington, D.C.
The first-place winner nationally receives $5,000 for the Patriot's Pen winning essay and the first-place winning essay nationally for the Voice of Democracy receives a $35,000 college scholarship.
According to Goodman, students begin on the path for a national title competing at the local post level here in Windham. The VFW Post 10643 winners then advance to compete at the district-level. District winners compete in the VFW’s annual state competition while trying to secure a berth in the national competition next spring.
“These scholarships are dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation,” Goodman said.
Each year, more than 72,000 students in grades 6 to 8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society and express their own unique viewpoints.
Established in 1947, the VFW’s Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with a special opportunity to express themselves in a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 48,000 students in grades 9 to 12 from across the country enter the “Voice of Democracy” contest to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.
The deadline for all student essay entries in Windham this year is Oct. 31, Goodman said.
Interested students and/or teachers with questions about the contests should contact VFW Post 10643 by phone at 207-228-4329. Entries may be submitted to VFW Post 10643 by mailing them to P.O. Box 1776, Windham, Maine 04062.
Local winners will be announced during the annual Veterans Day Observance at the Windham Veterans Center on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. <
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