Scholarships: Patriotic Art Deadline Extended & A Recap of the VOD D.C. Trip

Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest

The deadline for entries in the Young American Patriotic Art Contest has been extended. With the current state of the Coronavirus pandemic, National has determined that each Department may set their own local submission and local, District and Department judging deadlines of the Patriotic Art Contest. Please check with your Department Scholarships Chairmen for the contest deadlines for your Department. The deadline for Department winners to reach National Headquarters is now June 5, 2020.

Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen

The themes for the 2020-2021 contests have been announced!

The 2020-2021 theme for the Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Contest is “Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned?” The 2020-2021 theme for the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest is “What is Patriotism to Me?” The deadline for entries for both contests to be received at the local Post is October 31, 2020.

Do you know what the Voice of Democracy Department winners do while they are in Washington, D.C.?  We’re all familiar with the Parade of Winners on Monday evening, but have you wondered how the rest of their time is spent? Below is the itinerary from this year’s trip.

The students arrived on Saturday where they met each other for the first time. It’s amazing how quickly they bonded with each other! They met for dinner and attended an orientation.

Sunday began with breakfast, followed by a trip to Mount Vernon. After lunch at Mount Vernon, the students visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum. This was truly a moving experience for them. After the Holocaust Memorial Museum, came the International Spy Museum where the students could interact with the exhibits. A dinner of burgers and fries was provided to eat on the bus while touring the monuments at night. The bus stopped at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, U.S. Capitol, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. They exited the bus to visit the monuments.

Students enjoyed snacks and social time at the hotel before room check for the night.

Monday began with breakfast and a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. The students witnessed the Changing of the Guard. From Arlington, the students visited the Reagan Building and International Trade Center to learn about finance. They returned to the hotel to prepare for the Parade of Winners on Monday evening.

The students’ names were announced and they were escorted to the stage by their Department Commander and Department President, or their representative.

A senior from Omaha, Nebraska, Shruthi Kumar, was awarded a $30,000.00 scholarship for her audio essay. A full list of winners and Shruthi’s essay can be found on the VFW National website at https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

Tuesday began with breakfast, then a trip to tour the White House.  After the White House, students visited the Smithsonian Museum. Tuesday evening was a pizza party and riverboat cruise.

On Wednesday, the students returned home from a trip they will never forget!

Thank you to our corporate sponsors Twisted X and Dell Computers. Twisted X supplied the students with their jackets and provided entry fees for the various events. Dell Computers provided a laptop computer, keyboard and wireless mouse to each student. Representatives from these companies visited with students on Tuesday evening to mingle and answer questions.

As you can see, this is an amazing opportunity and provides a lifetime of memories for these students. I hope this gives you some insight on how important this Program is to our organization and our students.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank National President Peggy for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this. To the VFW, thank you for your kindness and consideration during my time in D.C. This trip is in my forever memories, too!

Since schools are closed, please use social media to create awareness of the 2020-2021 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen themes.

Thank you for inspiring patriotism, determination and imagination in our nation’s students this year, and for all you’ve done to make 2019-2020 a successful year for our Scholarships Program.

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