VFW scholarship contests open to Maricopa youth

Maricopa Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 12043, is sponsoring two VFW national scholarship programs on the local level.

Both nationwide contests are endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and provide monetary prizes as well as all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C. for winning students in both grades 6-8 and 9-12.

Patriot’s Pen is an essay contest for students in grades 6-8. The 2008-2009 theme is “Why America’s Veterans Should be Honored.”

Contestants write a 300-400 word essay based on the theme. The first-place winner receives a $10,000 savings bond and a trip to Washington D.C. The top national winners each receive a savings bond of anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.

Created in 1947, the Voice of Democracy scholarship program is an audio-essay contest for high school students in grades 9-12. Students submit a three to five minute recording on the current theme, which is “Service and Sacrifice by America’s Veterans Benefit Today’s Youth by …”

The first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship that is paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school.

The entry deadline for both contests is Nov. 1.

For more information on entering these contests, contact Herb Bailey at (909) 496-3658 or by email.

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