Brenda Blair
2021-2022 National Scholarships Ambassador
Fall is near and school bells are ringing across the country. Now is the time to get excited and get the word out about the four national scholarships the VFW and VFW Auxiliary has for our students and members.
The four scholarships are:
- Voice of Democracy (for students in grades 9-12 at time of entry) – Entry deadline to local VFW Post is midnight on October 31, 2021.
- Patriot’s Pen (for students in grades 6-8 at time of entry) – Entry deadline to local VFW Post is midnight on October 31, 2021.
- Continuing Education (for VFW Auxiliary members and their immediate family members – spouse, children – over the age of 18) – Entry deadline to VFW National Headquarters is midnight on February 15, 2022.
- Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest (for students in grades 9-12 at time of entry) – Entry deadline to local VFW Auxiliary is midnight on March 31, 2022.
Here are few ideas on how to get the word out:
- Hand out flyers and applications at your community’s fall festival or parade.
- Ask permission to post flyers at your town’s gathering spots (coffee shops, diners, community centers, libraries, etc.).
- Work with your VFW Post and have a booth at your local fair or fall festival. Make it a membership drive and scholarship information booth for both sides of the organization.
- Use local media!
- Share the information on/in community/neighborhood Facebook pages/groups.
- Submit the information to your local newspaper.
- Present the information to teachers and school officials.
- Tell your friends with children and/or grandchildren who are eligible to participate.
Tips:
- Always make sure to include the name and information (phone number AND email address) of the person to contact at your Post/Auxiliary about scholarship contests.
- Be EXCITED and inform more people about our contests. You would be surprised how many don’t even know about them!
Please promote our National President’s Special Project, Fund the Future within your Auxiliary, District and Department. You can donate online in MALTA as an individual or as an Auxiliary, District or Department, or mail a check to National Headquarters. If you have questions on how to donate to the Continuing Education or Patriotic Art Funds, please contact National Headquarters at 816-561-8655 or email: info@vfwauxiliary.org.
I encourage you to have fun with this Program and partner/share ideas with the Youth Activities Program as contest participants from one Program may have older/younger siblings eligible for the other. Together, we can help our students fulfill their dreams.