PATRIOT'S PEN ESSAY CONTEST

Each year, more than 60,600 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen® annual youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of nearly $1 million in state and national awards. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000! 

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. Students interested in participating must submit their essay prepared on this year's theme, with a completed 2025-2026 entry form, to this Post. Read the Patriot's Pen rules here. Applications must be turned into the Post by midnight, Oct. 31. 

The 2025-26 theme is: "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?”