Members of the Plymouth-Canton VFW Post 6695 and Auxiliary are sponsoring their annual scholarship program for any student in grades 6 through 12. There are no special qualifications, for the award, according to a prepared statement from the group.
Students in grades 6-8 can compete in the Patriot's Pen writing contest with a top prize of $5,000 from the group. Students enrolled at any private, public, or parochial school and home schooled students may compete for the prize. The theme this year is "What Is Patriotism to Me?" Essays are to be 300-400 typewritten words (within a five-word margin) and must be entirely written by the student. Typewritten entries and a completed entry form must be delivered to VFW Post 6695 by 8 p.m. Oct. 31.
Students in grades 9-12 can compete in the Voice of Democracy contest with a top prize of $30,000, VFW members said. The Voice of Democracy writing competition requires students to record their original 3-5 minute (within a 5-second margin) essay on an audio CD or flash drive. As with the Patriot's Pen competition, any student enrolled in any private, public or parochial school or any home schooled student is eligible to compete. The theme for the Voice of Democracy contest is "Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned?"
Entries must include a typewritten copy of the essay, the recorded essay and a completed entry form. Entries may be dropped off at VFW Post 6695, 1426 South Mill St., Plymouth, MI 48170 any time before 8 p.m. Oct. 31, Entry forms are available at VFW Post 6695, at the address above. Entry forms and instructions for either the Patriot's Pen or Voice of Democracy contests can also be downloaded from the VFW.org website. Once on the website, users can go to Community, then Youth & Education, then Youth Scholarships.
Students can also compete for a top prize of $31,000 in the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Students in grades 9-12 may submit either a two- or three-dimensional original art piece. The deadline for submitting completed projects is March 31, 2021. Forms and instructions are available at the post or can be downloaded from the VFW website.
