Patriot’s Pen
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 $54,500, 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. Want to apply? Read the rules and eligibility requirements and download the entry form and brochurebefore submitting your entry to your local VFW Post.
The 2017-18 theme is:
America’s Gift to My Generation
About the 2016-17 winner …
Lindi Compton, an eighth-grade student, was named the 2016-17 Patriot’s Pen first-place winner. Her essay on the theme, “The America I Believe In,” won her a $5,000 award. Lindi was sponsored by VFW Post 5813 and its Auxiliary in Greensburg, Ky.
Watch Lindi deliver her winning essay, read her essay or see the complete list of 2017 national winners.
Hokanson's World Geography 