PHOENIX – Commander Mark Short of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9400, announced the kick-off of the VFW’s annual Patriot’s Pen youth essay competition. Middle school students in grades 6-8 in this area have the opportunity to compete and win thousands of dollars in national awards.
The VFW enacted the Patriot’s Pen competition in 1995 to encourage young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society by composing a 300- to 400-word patriotic-themed essay. The theme for the 2016 competition is “The America I Believe In”.
Students begin by competing at the local Post level. Post winners advance to District competition with District winners advancing to the state competition. State first-place winners compete for their share of thousands of dollars in awards, and the national first-place winner is awarded $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
Each year, more than 125,000 students participate nationwide. Deadline for student entries is November 1, and interested students and teachers should contact VFW Post 9400 Patriot Pen Chairman Tom Landy by phone at 602.295.4394 or email [email protected] for more information.
Or details visit http://www.vfw.org/PatriotsPen.
