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VFW Names Top National Youth Scholarship Winners

Minnesota high school junior takes home first place $30,000 scholarship.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tonight, during the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) first-ever virtual Parade of Winners, the organization proudly presented more than $208,000 in scholarships and awards as it named the national winners of its 2021 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions.

Due to the pandemic and the cancellation of the VFW’s annual legislative conference, the VFW instead chose to virtually host its awards show, sponsored by Twisted X and Dell , live on Facebook. Together with VFW Auxiliary President Sandi Onstwedder and Twisted X President Prasad Reddy, VFW National Commander Hal Roesch traveled to Rochester, Minnesota, to surprise this year’s national Voice of Democracy winner, Erin Grace Stoeckig, and present her with the $30,000 first place scholarship. Stoeckig was sponsored by Rochester, Minnesota, VFW Post 1215 and its Auxiliary. Watch as she delivered her winning essay on this year’s theme, “Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned?”

“Despite the challenges the pandemic presented, we weren’t going to let it stop us from celebrating this momentous occasion,” said VFW National Commander Hal Roesch. “Tonight the VFW was proud to present our nation’s best and brightest students with more than $208,000 in scholarship and awards, making a grand total of nearly $2.7 million presented at the national, state and local levels of our competitions. Our country is in good hands with future leaders like Ms. Stoeckig.”

In addition to taking home a college scholarship, the VFW surprised all of the Voice of Democracy state winners when it announced they would also receive a new laptop, courtesy of event sponsor Dell.

Also featured during tonight’s virtual awards ceremony was the 2021 Patriot’s Pen first place winner, Wyatt Perkins. Sponsored by VFW Post 4221 in Lake Portland, North Dakota, Perkins was awarded the top Patriot’s Pen award of $5,000 and delivered his winning essay .

The Patriot’s Pen second place winner, Bennett Gordon, sponsored by VFW Auxiliary Post 2730 in Sturgis, South Dakota, will receive a $4,000 award, while third place winner Sydnie Morgan, sponsored by VFW Post 12140 and its Auxiliary in Tualatin, Oregon, will receive a $3,500 award. See the complete list of 2021 Patriot’s Pen national winners .

Learn more about the VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen programs here .

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1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr. VFW Post 12135

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Patriot’s Pen Winners 2020

Drew Myers Silver Medal Winner

The Tellico Village VFW Post is pleased to announce our Patriot’s Pen essay contest winners for 2020-2021. Contestants were required to write a 300-400 word essay on this year’s theme, “What is Patriotism to me?”.

This year 120 7 th and 8 th grade students from Lenoir City Middle School entered essays in our contest competing for a National VFW Grand Prize of $5000 and a total of more than $1,400,000 in State and National awards.

This year’s top 3 winners from Post 12135 were Abigail Poulsen (7 th Grade Gold Medal), Andrew Meyers (8th Grade Silver Medal) and Nolan Burke (7 th Grade Bronze Medal. All 3 won cash prizes and were advanced to the District Level competition.

Five more post finalists (Emily Dodd, Mahayla Scarbro, Kayla Ledford, Jerica McNabb and Gabriel Clift) were also advanced to the District competition.

The 1 st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, Jr. VFW Post 12135 is based in Tellico Village and supports Patriotic Education through our annual: ”Teacher of the Year”. “Voice of Democracy”, and “Patriot’s Pen competitions”.

If you would like to know more about these programs, we can be reached via our website at TellicoVillageVFWPost.org or via phone or text to our message line at 865-408-8061.

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• Patriot’s Pen

2020-21 Patriot’s Pen Theme:

What is Patriotism to Me?

Student Entry Deadline: October 31, 2020 Patriotic Essay Writing Contest Grand Prize: $5,000 Award

Each year more than 132,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s  Patriot’s Pen  youth essay contest. The national first-place winner wins $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The first-place winner from each state competes for national awards totaling $55,000, with each first-place state winner receiving a minimum of $500 at the national level.

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.

What is 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 120,000 students who participated last year in this contest. The national winners will receive at least $500. The first-place national award is currently $5,000 plus an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has again approved this contest for its National Advisory List of Contests and Activities .

Big National Prizes

National awards total: $55,000 Prizes include the various amounts listed below: 1st: $5,000 7th: $1,750 2nd:$4,000 8-10th: $1,500 3rd: $3,500 11-12th: $1,250 4th: $2,750 13-23th: $1,000 5th: $2,500 24-25th: $750 6th: $2,000 26-53th: $500 The Internal Revenue Service requires that any recipient that receives more than a $599 award should receive a Form 1099 identifying the proceeds as taxable.

Post 1760 Winning Prize: $150

How does the patriot’s pen contest work.

All entries begin at the Post level. The only exception is where schools/classes/ youth groups have large numbers of students and wish to conduct their own competition, submitting one winner for each 15 students to the local VFW Post competition. Individual students may submit their entry directly to the Post. This participating Post should be within your local area and within your U.S. state of residence. The contest consists of four levels. The first level (entry) is sponsored by local VFW Posts. Post winners advance, one for every 15 entries, to the VFW District (regional) level where the one first-place winner is advanced to the VFW Department (state) level. The one first-place winner at the Department level is then advanced into the VFW national competition. The winner from each Department (state) then competes for the national prizes.

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. 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. Dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools can participate too. (Foreign exchange students and former winners that placed in the National contest are excluded from the contest.)

How do I get started?

• Download the entry form here:  2020-21 Patriots Pen Student Entry Form and Brochure .
• Ask a teacher or youth group/club adult leader to supervise the Patriot’s Pen writing competition.
• Contact a local VFW Post within your local area within your state and indicate your interest in participating.
• Establish a contact person who is a member of that VFW Post or its Auxiliary.
• Make sure that your essay is submitted to the VFW Post before the contest deadline of Oct. 31, 2020. You can submit your essay and entry form electronically (by email) upon the Post’s approval. Entries sent to VFW National will be returned.

How am I judged?

You will be judged on how well you understand, develop and present the theme. A positive approach is recommended to express your viewpoint.

Knowledge of the theme is worth 30 points: You must show a thorough knowledge of the theme in your work. Demonstrate you have researched the issue extensively.

Theme development is worth 35 points: Answer all relevant facts about the theme such as the who, what, where, when and why. Relate the theme to your own experiences.

Clarity of ideas is worth 35 points: Write your essay in an easy-to-understand format. Leave your reader with a clear understanding of your explanation of the theme.

What is the theme?

VFW’s Commander-in-Chief annually chooses the year’s theme. The 2020-21 theme is, What is Patriotism to Me?

What are the rules?

• Essay length: 300-400 typewritten words. (+ or – 5 words max).
• You must write your own essay.
• All essays should be typed in English with no color or graphics and cannot be less than 300 words or greater than 400 words in length. (Essays under or over these word amounts will be eliminated.) Every word is counted regardless of length. The essay title (theme) or added footnotes do not contribute to the word count. At any time during the contest additional participant personal information (i.e. SSN, photo, etc.) could be requested by the VFW.

In no way may contestants identify themselves within their essay (including, but not limited to, your name, school, city, state, race or national origin.) Do not put your name on your essay. The entry form is your essay’s cover sheet. Secure the Official Student Entry Form with a staple or other fastener on top of your essay. Contestants are allowed to enter only once each year if otherwise eligible (one Post competition). Contestants found in violation of this rule will face elimination from the competition and will be required to return any and all prize money awarded or received.

The essay must be a contestant’s original work and a product of the contestant’s own thinking. The approach to the Patriot’s Pen theme should be positive and clearly focused. Poetry is not acceptable. Quotations may be used sparingly if plainly identified wherever used. A contestant’s teacher, counselor or parent may check the essay for punctuation, grammar and/or spelling, but the content must remain the contestant’s. Contestants will be judged on the basis of their essay alone and are not required to present the essay orally. All essays become the property of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW retains non-exclusive rights to use your essay and likeness in the promotion and execution of the organization’s programs and activities.

Patriot’s Pen Deadline information

To qualify, all entries must be submitted to VFW Post 1760 (or a sponsoring local VFW Post) by midnight October 31, 2020 . Entries can be hand delivered or postal mail sent.

For more details on the competition you can contact our office or refer to the VFW National website .

About the 2019-20 winner …

Ruby Howe, a seventh grade student from Rochester Hills, Michigan, was named the 2019-20  Patriot’s Pen  first place winner. Her essay on the theme, “What Makes America Great,” won her a $5,000 award. Ruby was sponsored by VFW Post 334 in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Watch as Ruby delivered her winning essay , or see the  complete list of 2020 national winners .

Previous Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy News

2017 Voice of Democracy Winner Takes 3rd in State

The Department of Arizona Veterans of Foreign Wars & Auxiliary had their Rudolph A. Beckwar Memorial 2017 Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen and Teacher of the Year Awards Banquet… READ»

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VFW Post Honors Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest Winners

“What Makes America Great?” That was the question posed to middle schoolers last fall.  How would you respond?

Each year the largest and oldest war veterans service organization in the United States, the Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsors a written essay contest for 6 th , 7 th and 8 th grade students called Patriot’s Pen. The national first place winner is awarded $5,000. Entries are submitted at the Post level, which for Holliston is Leonard D. Chesmore Post 8507. Winners at Post level advance to District. District level winners advance to State and State level winners go on to National in Washington, D.C.

This year Post 8507 had seven essays submitted for consideration. On January 16 th Post 8507 held a pizza party at the Senior Center for the students who entered and their families. All were able to attend, along with approximately 12 members of our local VFW.

The competition was close. Caroline White won first place. Michelle (Mia) Corrou came in second and Aditya Gupta was 3 rd . This year the first place post-level prize was $300. The second place prize was $200 and third place $100. The other students, Sydney Comeau, Hannah Devine, Logan Mankos and Megan Monahan, were awarded $25 gift cards.

I attended the pizza party and had the pleasure of sitting with the Devine family. Post Commander Dave de Ganne was the master of ceremonies. Post Vice-Commander Peter Guelnitz coordinated the contest at the post level, announced the winners and awarded the prizes.

Paul Deschenes

I’d love to read some of them, can you post some ?

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PATRIOT PEN

2023-2024 Patriot's Pen Essay Theme "How are you inspired by America" Each year more than 165,400 students in grades 6-8 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. Each 1st 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. Want to apply?  2023-2024 Patriots Pen Announcement Letter Click Here 2023-2024 Patriots Pen entry form Click here Score sheet for judging can be found here .    NOTE : PA has due dates different than those publicized by National VFW!        October 31, 2023-Student deadline Entry is midnight.        November 18, 2023 -Post judging completed.        December 3, 2023    District judging completed.        December 9, 2023   District Winner entry form, flash drive of essay, typed essay, head and shoulder photo of good quality, District summary report and District participation report must be sent to Department Chairman:    Pennsylvania VFW Patriot's Pen Chairman William (Bill) Lamond VFW Post 5207 (10) 3360 Nashotka Rd. Madison Twp, Pa.  18444 570-241-5875 [email protected]     December 11, 2023-Department judging  January 15, 2024-Department Winner and Reports submitted to VFW National HQ January 20, 2024-Annual Voice of Democracy Banquet-DoubleTree by Hilton-Pittsburgh Cranberry

Address 4002 Fenton Ave Harrisburg, PA 17109-5943 Contact Us via Email Fax: 717-234-1955

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PATRIOT'S PEN

"how are you inspired by america".

WHAT IS THE PATRIOT’S PEN?

Conducted nationwide, 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. We invite you to join the more than 138,000 students who participated last year in this contest. Patriot’s Pen gives 6 th , 7 th , and 8 th grade students the opportunity to express their opinion on a patriotic theme and improve their writing skills, while they compete for awards and prizes. The awards from all levels of the competition total $1.2 million each year. Each Department (state) first place winner competes at the national level for $55,000 in award money. The first place national winner receives $5,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian. Each state winner will receive at least $500 at the national level. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on their National Advisory List of Contests for participation.

The theme for the Annual VFW Patriot’s Pen Essay is "How Can I Be A Good American?”. The contest is open to all students in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades in public, private, parochial schools, as well as, home-schooled children in the United States and its territories or its possessions and dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Former first place state winners are not eligible to compete again. Foreign exchange students, adults and former winners that placed in the National contest are not eligible to compete. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application cannot have been denied) and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. Brochures on the program were mailed to all Post Commanders and Auxiliary Presidents. Schools should be contacted as soon as they open for the current year in order that the teachers can include the contest in the lesson plans. Posts are responsible for giving their area schools Patriot’s Pen pamphlets. You can check the program on the web at https://www.vfw.org/patriotspen to see requirements and print the entry forms.  

The essay must be typed in English and be 300-400 words in length. Poetry is not accepted. Word count does not include the title or footnotes. NO GRAPHICS OR COLOR ALLOWED . The essay must be a contestant’s original work and a product of the contestant’s own thinking. Contestants will NOT identify themselves within their essay to include, but not limited to, their name, school, city, state, race or national origin. Do not put the students name on the essay; use the entry form as the cover sheet.

Posts may submit one winning entry to the District for judging. 

Districts may submit one winning entry to the Department Chairman.

WINNING ENTRIES ADVANCED FOR JUDGING MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Official entry form and info required. Forms may be printed from online at www.vfw.org

2. Three typed copies of the essay

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!

Note: It’s critical that the Post/District reports be accurate. Ask for guidance if something is unclear.

OTHER GUIDELINES:

If the school does not participate , or if there are no schools in your area, the Post should contact student(s)and have them participate in a Post contest with the Post winner being entered into the District competition. Home-schooled children, your child, grandchild, or a friend's child might just be interested in winning a scholarship. Do not lose the opportunity to have your Post or Auxiliary compete in the Patriot’s Pen contest.

Posts and Auxiliaries should make their awards as large as possible. WE HAVE TO have an incentive for the teachers to push the program in order to get larger student participation. Many Posts and Auxiliaries have an Awards Night at the Post Home for teachers, community leaders and students. Some schools request that it be held at a school function. Whichever is done, make sure the students are rewarded and the community is aware of it. It is suggested that each Post and/or Auxiliary present some sort of citation to participating winners, students, teachers, etc. Citations can be ordered from the National Emblem and Supply Catalog. Department can help you create a citation also.

  All entries, including Home Schools , must be judged at the VFW Post level. The only exception is where schools/classes/youth groups have large numbers of students and wish to conduct their own competition, submitting one winner for each 15 students to the local VFW Post competition. Individual students may submit their entry directly to the local VFW Post within your U.S. state of residence provided they have not competed in a school class competition.

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

 An entry for judging at the next higher level is a requirement for All-State selection.

Individual awards will not be permitted to be presented by the respective District Chairmen at the Mid-Winter Conference. These awards SHOULD BE PRESENTED AT THE DISTRICT'S AWARDS PROGRAM. Posts and Districts are encouraged to present awards to their respective entries.

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 Patriot's Pen Chairman for more information:

Carl Karnish

Email: [email protected]

Address 10185 Mammoth Baton Rouge, LA 70814 Contact Us via Email Phone: 225.925.5025

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VFW Post 3617

Wenatchee valley veterans & families, patriot’s pen & youth essay.

Each year more than 132,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest. 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.

The national first-place winner receives $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The first-place winner from each state competes for national awards totaling $54,500, with each first-place state winner receiving a minimum of $500 at the national level.

How to enter

The Theme for 2023 is: “How Are You Inspired by America?”

Review the [ Rules & Eligibility ]. Download the [ entry form ]. Complete the form and submit it with the written essay to our Post by 31 Oct 2023 . Entries can be mailed in or dropped off during open hours.

Past Winners

2021 – “How Can I Be a Good American?”

2020 – “What is Patriotism to Me?” 1 st : Rachel Carter, Valley Academy of Learning, Wenatchee

2017 – “America’s Gift to My Generation” 1 st : Claire Countryman-Logstrom, Eastmont Jr. High 2 nd : Katelin Neff, Sterling Intermediate School 3 rd : Ella Fillion, Sterling Intermediate School

2016 – “The America I Believe In” 1 st : Colby Hull, Sterling Intermediate School 2 nd : Isaac Darlington, Sterling Intermediate School

2015 1 st : Libby Marcoux, Pioneer Middle School 2 nd : Issac Darlington, Sterling Intermediate School 3 rd : Rae Ann Dressel, Pioneer Middle School

2014 1 st : Aiden Larsen, Eastmont Jr. High 2 nd : Marissa Ann Geesey, Waterville School 3 rd : Grace B. Rodriquez, Icicle River Middle School

2013 – “What Patriotism Means to Me” 1 st : McKenzie Ayers 2 nd : Jarred Barnes 3 rd : Domonique Villeia

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Washington State offers an additional Youth Essay opportunity for students in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades to submit a written essay of up to 250 words. There will be a Post winner FOR EACH GRADE, as well as a State Winner FOR EACH GRADE. Awards are at the discretion of the local Posts and their Auxiliaries, as are the District Awards.

The Theme for 2023 is “What does the word “Veteran” mean to you?”

Download the [ entry form ], which includes Rules & Eligibility information on page 2. Complete the form and submit it with the written essay to our Post by 31 Oct 2023 . Entries can be mailed in or dropped off during open hours.

2017 – “What Does a Veteran Mean to Me?” 1 st : Alex Anguiano, Washington Elementary 2 nd : Khloe Suppes, Waterville Elementary 3 rd : Isabela Orr, Lewis & Clark Elementary

2016 1 st : RyAnne Barnes, Clovis Elementary 2 nd : Andrea Hernandez, Lewis & Clark Elementary 3 rd : Alex Anguiano, Washington Elementary

2015 Jessalyn Alcazar, Mission View Elementary

2014 1 st : Layni Schmultzer, Grant Elementary 2 nd : Denise Sanchez, Sterling School 3 rd : Natalie Daggett, Sterling School

2013 1 st : Makenna Schwab 2 nd : Natteag Daris 3 rd : Cynthia Monravalo

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(509) 884-3617

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 138,000 students who participated last year in this contest. The national winners will receive at least $500. The first-place national award is currently $5,000. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has again approved this contest for its National Advisory List of Contests and Activities.   VFW’s Commander-in-Chief annually chooses the year’s theme. The 2023-24 theme is   "How are you inspired by America?   A big thank you to the North Carolina Military Order of the Cootie for sponsoring these monetary awards!   Entry Form   Eligibility   Score Sheet   For further information, please contact our Department Chairman, Steve Amos.    Phone: 336-462-2024 Email: [email protected]   

Address 917 New Bern Avenue Raleigh, NC 27601 Contact Us via Email Phone: 919-828-5058 Fax: 919-307-8625

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PATRIOTS PEN

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Our programs support our service members while they are on the front line, as they are being discharged and long after they return. Your tax-deductible donation will be immediately directed to the VFW programs where your support is most urgently needed.

Address 114 McCall Road Manhattan, KS 66502 Contact Us via Email Phone: 1(307)399-1663

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Franklin County's First News

Jay VFW Post announces winners of “Patriot’s Pen” essay contest

JAY – Local Jay Veterans of Foreign Wars, Frank L. Mitchell Post 3335 announced the 2020 local winners of the “Patriot’s Pen” Essay Competition. Local students in the Jay/Livermore/Livermore Falls area submitted essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. The 2020 theme was “What is Patriotism to Me?”

Receiving first place was Ophelia Hughes, second place Madison Cardes, and third place Avery Ryder. Thirteen local students submitted their essays, and were independently judged by the city leaders from Livermore/Jay/Livermore Falls. Judging is based on how well the applicants understand, develop, and present the annual theme in their essay.

Post Commander Don Frechette commented that this years essays were especially well written and was a pleasure for the large turnout by local students from our communities, and their views on what Patriotism means to them.

“It’s an honor to have so many students submit a heartfelt view on Patriotism. In today’s social challenges, this is one way the VFW reaches out on a National Level to students to engage them in the learning about local veterans and veterans organizations that are in their area,” Frechette said.

The PATRIOT’S PEN is a VFW annual nationwide competition open to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and home schooled students, giving an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. Last year more than 138,000 students participated nationally, through their local VFW posts. Local Post winners are then eligible to be judged with VFW Regional level, and then moving on the District (State) level. The winner from the State is advanced to the National level, where over $55,000 were scholarships were awarded in 2019.

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 2023-24 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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Patriot's Pen Essay Contest

Ages: Middle School

Type: Submission

Scope: National

[email protected] (816) 756-3390

Participate

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 120,000 students who participated last year in this contest. The national winners will receive at least $500. The first-place national award is currently $5,000 plus an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian.

Submit an essay based on the year's topic and requirements.

Website: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

Managing Organization: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

Contact: [email protected] (816) 756-3390

Eligibility: The Patriot's Pen program is open to students in grades 6-8 (on the October 31 deadline), who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial school or home study program in the United States and its territories.

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Le Corbusier’s triumphant return to Moscow

The exhibition of French prominent architect Le Corbusier, held in The Pushkin Museum, brings together the different facets of his talent. Source: ITAR-TASS / Stanislav Krasilnikov

The largest Le Corbusier exhibition in a quarter of a century celebrates the modernist architect’s life and his connection with the city.

Given his affinity with Moscow, it is perhaps surprising that the city had never hosted a major examination of Le Corbusier’s work until now. However, the Pushkin Museum and the Le Corbusier Fund have redressed that discrepancy with the comprehensive exhibition “Secrets of Creation: Between Art and Architecture,” which runs until November 18.

Presenting over 400 exhibits, the exhibition charts Le Corbusier’s development from the young man eagerly sketching buildings on a trip around Europe, to his later years as a prolific and influential architect.

The exhibition brings together the different facets of his talent, showing his publications, artwork and furniture design alongside photographs, models and blueprints of his buildings.

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Irina Antonova, director of the Pushkin Museum, said, “It was important for us to also exhibit his art. People know Le Corbusier the architect, but what is less well know is that he was also an artist. Seeing his art and architecture together gives us an insight into his mind and his thought-processes.”

What becomes obvious to visitors of the exhibition is that Le Corbusier was a man driven by a single-minded vision of how form and lines should interact, a vision he was able to express across multiple genres.

The upper wings of the Pushkin Museum are separated by the central stairs and two long balconies. The organizers have exploited this space, allowing comparison of Le Corbusier’s different art forms. On one side there are large paintings in the Purist style he adapted from Cubism, while on the other wall there are panoramic photographs of his famous buildings.

Le Corbusier was a theorist, producing many pamphlets and manifestos which outlined his view that rigorous urban planning could make society more productive and raise the average standard of living.

It was his affinity with constructivism, and its accompanying vision of the way architecture could shape society, which drew him to visit the Soviet Union, where, as he saw it, there existed a “nation that is being organized in accordance with its new spirit.”

The exhibition’s curator Jean-Louis Cohen explains that Le Corbusier saw Moscow as “somewhere he could experiment.” Indeed, when the architect was commissioned to construct the famous Tsentrosoyuz Building, he responded by producing a plan for the entire city, based on his concept of geometric symmetry.

Falling foul of the political climate

He had misread the Soviet appetite for experimentation, and as Cohen relates in his book Le Corbusier, 1887-1965, drew stinging attacks from the likes of El Lissitsky, who called his design “a city on paper, extraneous to living nature, located in a desert through which not even a river must be allowed to pass (since a curve would contradict the style).”

Not to be deterred, Le Corbusier returned to Moscow in 1932 and entered the famous Palace of the Soviets competition, a skyscraper that was planned to be the tallest building in the world.

This time he fell foul of the changing political climate, as Stalin’s growing suspicion of the avant-garde led to the endorsement of neo-classical designs for the construction, which was ultimately never built due to the Second World War.

Situated opposite the proposed site for the Palace of the Soviets, the exhibition offers a tantalizing vision of what might have been, presenting scale models alongside Le Corbusier’s plans, and generating the feeling of an un-built masterpiece.

Despite Le Corbusier’s fluctuating fortunes in Soviet society, there was one architect who never wavered in his support . Constructivist luminary Alexander Vesnin declared that the Tsentrosoyuz building was the "the best building to arise in Moscow for over a century.”

The exhibition sheds light on their professional and personal relationship, showing sketches and letters they exchanged. In a radical break from the abstract nature of most of Le Corbusier’s art, this corner of the exhibition highlights the sometimes volatile architect’s softer side, as shown through nude sketches and classical still-life paintings he sent to Vesnin.

“He was a complex person” says Cohen. “It’s important to show his difficult elements; his connections with the USSR, with Mussolini. Now that relations between Russia and the West have improved, we can examine this. At the moment there is a new season in Le Corbusier interpretation.” To this end, the exhibition includes articles that have never previously been published in Russia, as well as Le Corbusier’s own literature.

Completing Le Corbusier’s triumphant return to Russia is a preview of a forthcoming statue, to be erected outside the Tsentrosoyuz building. Even if she couldn’t quite accept his vision of a planned city, Moscow is certainly welcoming him back.

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