The Veterans of Foreign Wars Jerry V. Horn Memorial Post 10046 and the Auxiliary are once again sponsoring the Voice of Democracy (VOD) program. The VOD is a national scholarship program for students in grades 9-12, including home schooled students, which was started in 1947. If offers students a chance to win money for college by expressing their own original thoughts on this year’s topic, “My Vision for America.”
To enter, students must write and then record a 3-5 minute original essay on an audio CD or flash drive. There should be no background music on the tape — clear enunciation of words is crucial.
On the local level, Students will be eligible to receive monetary awards of $1000 or $500 for 1st and 2nd place. The 1st place winner’s entry will then be submitted for state judging where he/she will be eligible to win an additional $1000, $500 or $400 for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, respectively. The 1st place state winner will also receive a 5-day all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. in March 2016 and compete with winners from each of the other states for a grand prize of a $30,000 scholarship. All participants at national level will receive an aware of not less than $1000.
The Patriot’s Pen Essay competition is for students in grades 6-8 including home-schooled students. Entrants have the opportunity to compete in the VFW’s annual essay competition to earn monetary awards and a trip to Washington, D.C. in March 2016.
All a student needs to do is write and submit an original 300-400 word essay on a patriotic theme which this years is “What Freedom Means to Me.” At the local level the winners will receive $500 and $250 for 1st and 2nd place respectively. The first place winner’s essay will advance to state level competition and will be eligible for additional awards of $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd place. The first place state winner’s entry will be forwarded to national competition, the chance to compete for the grand prize of $5,000 plus an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C for herself/himself and a parent or guardian.
Information about the scholarship programs has been distributed to all local schools. For an official entry form, visit the VFW website at www.vfw.org. For more information, contact your school counselor or call Rachel Jurco at 262-1352.
All entries must be either mailed or delivered directly to the Post at 134 N. Birch St., Soldotna no later than Nov. 1.
Has a new addition to your family just arrived? Where in the world is your military person and what are they up to? Got a new graduate, dean’s list student or an award-receiving youth?
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Email your community events to news@peninsulaclarion.com, fax it to 283-3299, drop it off at the Clarion office in Kenai at 150 Trading Bay Drive (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or mail your information to us at P.O. Box 3009, Kenai AK 99611.
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