What is Patriot's Pen?
Conducted nationwide, this VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. We invite you to join the more than 120,000 students who participated last year in this contest. The national winners will receive at least $500. The first-place national award is currently $5,000 plus an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian.The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has again approved this contest for its National Advisory List of Contests and Activities
Big National Prizes!
National awards total: $55,000Prizes include the various amounts listed below:1st: $5,000 7th: $1,7502nd: $4,000 8-10th: $1,5003rd: $3,500 11-12th: $1,2504th: $2,750 13-23rd: $1,0005th: $2,500 24-25th: $7506th: $2,000 26-53rd: $500The Internal Revenue Service requires that any recipient that receives more than a $599 award should receive a Form 1099 identifying the proceeds as taxable.
How Does the Contest Work?
All entries begin at the Post level. The only exception is where schools/classes/ youth groups have large numbers of students and wish to conduct their own competition, submitting one winner for each 15 students to the local VFW Post competition. Individual students may submit their entry directly to the Post. This participating Post should be within your local area and within your U.S. state of residence.The contest consists of four levels. The first level (entry) is sponsored by local VFW Posts. Post winners advance, one for every 15 entries, to the VFW District (regional) level where the one first-place winner is advanced to the VFW Department (state) level. The one first-place winner at the Department level is then advanced into the VFW national competition. The winner from each Department (state) then competes for the national prizes.
