PATRIOT’S PEN DUE: 10-27-21

Patriot’s Pen
Each year more than 132,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest. The first-place winner from each state competes for national awards totaling $54,500, with each first-place state winner receiving a minimum of $500 at the national level. The national first-place winner wins $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

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.
sponsored by VFW Post 10468 and its Auxiliary in Searchlight, Nev.

WHO CAN ENTER:
The Patriot’s Pen program is open to students in grades 6-8, who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial school or home study program in the United States and its territories.

HOW TO ENTER: 7th and 8th grade students should ask their English teachers.

The theme is: “How Can I Be a Good American?”

Essays must be no less than 300 words and cannot exceed 400 words. They should be submitted to the Post, along with the completed Patriot’s Pen entry form no later than the October 27, 2021 deadline.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Knowledge of the theme is worth 30 points. You must show a thorough knowledge of the theme in your work. Demonstrate you have researched the issue extensively.

Theme development is worth 35 points. Answer all relevant facts about the theme such as the who, what, where, when and why. Relate the theme to your own experiences.

Clarity of ideas is worth 35 points. Write your essay in an easy-to-understand format. Leave your reader with a clear understanding of your explanation of the theme.