Scholarships: Auxiliary Contest Deadlines Are Approaching!

Auxiliary Contest Deadlines Are Approaching!

Continuing Education Scholarship

You know…

• Time is running out to apply for the Continuing Education Scholarship.
• This scholarship is available to our members, their spouse and children.
• The award is a $1,000.00 scholarship given to one student in each of the four Conferences.
• The deadline for applications to be received at National Headquarters is February 15, 2020.

Email to:  info@vfwauxiliary.org

Mail to:  Program Awards Administrator
VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters
406 W. 34th Street, 10th Floor
Kansas City, MO  64111

With fewer than 150 applications received annually, please inform your fellow members of the opportunity that they can take advantage of – if they meet the qualifications. This could be the year to break that record!

Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest

Your local schools, home schooled students, and youth groups in your community should have the information needed to participate in the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Follow up with your contacts to answer any lingering questions.

Eligibility

• Any student in grades 9-12 who is enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States.
• Maximum student age of 18 at time of local entry.
• Student must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• It is not a requirement to be related to a VFW or VFW Auxiliary member to participate, but the student must attend school in the same state as the sponsoring VFW Auxiliary.

Helpful Information

• Two and three-dimensional art is acceptable based on the specifications in the entry brochure.
• Digital Art, photography, and jewelry ARE NOT accepted.
• Instruct the student to follow the rules precisely as described on the contest application to avoid disqualification.
• Visit the Scholarships section of the Program & Publicity Resources page of the website for:
  • Brochure order form
  • A printable brochure and contest application
  • Redesigned scoresheet
  • Redesigned and updated helpful hints

Contest Deadlines

• Deadline for entries to your local Auxiliary is March 31, 2020.
• Deadline for Auxiliary first place winning entries to the Department Chairman is April 15, 2020.
• Deadline for first place Department winning entries to National Headquarters is May 5, 2020.
• Judges consider Patriotic Theme and technique in making their decisions.

National Awards

• First Place – $15,000.00
• Second Place – $7,500.00
• Third Place – $3,500.00
• Fourth and Fifth Place – $1,500.00
• Sixth through Ninth Place – $500.00

Help fund the artists of tomorrow! Please send a donation to the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Escrow Fund!  To donate, send a check earmarked Patriotic Art to:

VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters
Attn: Patriotic Art Fund
406 W. 34th Street, 10th Floor
Kansas City, MO  64111

Your generous donations are greatly appreciated and enable National Headquarters to increase the amount of our awards. Please consider sponsoring a fund raising event for this worthy cause. Let me know what your Auxiliary is planning. At the conclusion, let me know how successful the event was. Think outside the box! Perhaps, with the permission of the students, your Auxiliary could sponsor an auction of the artwork submitted for the contest.

Voice of Democracy / Patriot’s Pen

Our 2019-2020 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Contests have concluded. Our state-winning entries are on their way to National Headquarters for judging. Congratulations each of the state winners! We’re looking forward to meeting and celebrating with the students in Washington, D.C. in March. Thank you for assisting your Post in another successful program.

SWAP
One local school board member, who served as a new judge, was so impressed with the Voice of Democracy contest that she asked a participating student to open the next school board meeting by reading his winning speech. This was so well received by the audience that she repeated it at the next Parent-Teacher Organization meeting. By highlighting the contest in this way, it enabled parents, teachers and community leaders to become aware of the opportunities our organizations offer to students. Members attended the meetings and distributed brochures on each of the contests. The focus was on the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest due to the time of year.

Please continue to share our scholarship opportunities with your community while “Serving Our Veterans with Aloha!”