Calling all creative writers! ACP’s students have the exciting opportunity to participate in the Voice of Democracy scholarship program. This competition is hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), a national organization that seeks to fundraise for American veterans and promote patriotism in local communities. Each year, students are encouraged to submit an audio essay relating to a patriotic theme. This year’s theme is “What Makes America Great”, and submissions are due by October 31, 2019.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is a United States nonprofit organization that supports veterans and their families through fundraising for service memorials, honoring individuals who served in the military, and advocating for U.S. veterans. In the nineteenth century, veterans founded the VFW, a long-standing institution that currently has over 1.6 million members.

Individuals will be recognized on the local (post), district, state, and national levels for outstanding audio essays. From February 29 to March 4 of 2020, state winners will have the option to travel to Washington D.C. on a free trip sponsored by the VFW. While in D.C., the VFW will award the students with their scholarships and offer them a tour of the sites and sounds of our nation’s capital. The grand prize scholarship is $30,000, but the VFW will be giving away $154,000 in national awards in total.

To enter, participants should record a three to five minute essay on either a flash drive or audio CD. Students must submit this audio recording along with a typed version of the essay and the entry form to our local VFW Post 7401. Be sure to be the sole author of your submission and record your audio in English without any additional music or sound effects.

This scholarship program is a chance to voice your opinions on political matters and inspire patriotism in others. If you would like to enter the essay competition, remember to submit your audio entry to your local Veterans of Foreign Wars’ post by October 31, 2019.

For more information about how you can participate in the Voices of Democracy scholarship competition, here’s a link to the Veterans of Foreign Wars website: https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships.