2025 – 2026 Theme
“How Are You Showing Patriotism And Support For Our Country?”
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 their local participating VFW Post. Applications must be turned in by midnight, Oct. 31.
POST LEVEL AWARDS
1st Place – $250
2nd Place – $150
3rd Place – $100
NATIONAL GRAND PRIZE: $5,000 AWARD
HOW DO I ENTER?
Use your phone or other mobile device to scan the QR Code below or download the Patriot Pen flyer by clicking on this button.
Submit your Patriot Pen Essay through the Scholar’s App button below
PREFERRED METHODScholar’s App Submission
You may also use this link to email and submit your Patriot Pen Essay packet
Or mail your Patriot Pen Essay packet to:
VFW Post 12205
2025 Patriot Pen Essay
P.O. Box 282
Bulverde, TX 78163
WHAT IS THE PATRIOT’S PEN PROGRAM
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 60,000 students who participated last year in this contest.
ELIGIBILITY
Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students enrolled by the Oct. 31 deadline in public, private or parochial schools in the U.S., its territories or its possessions; or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Home-schooled students also are eligible. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application which has not been denied) and intend to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.
(Foreign exchange students are ineligible.)
HOW AM I JUDGED?
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.
WHY SHOULD I ENTER?
Prizes and scholarships can be awarded at the Post, District, State and national levels. Department (State) winners receive a portion of $55,000 in national awards. National Winners will receive at least $500. The first-place national award is currently $5,000.
The Internal Revenue Service requires a recipient awarded more than $599 be given Form 1099 identifying the proceeds as taxable income. This may require the winner to provide their social security number.
HOW DOES THE CONTEST WORK?
All entries begin at the VFW 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 VFW Post. Individual students may submit their entry directly to the Post.
The contest consists of four levels. The first level (entry) is sponsored by VFW Posts. Post winners advance, one for every 15 entries, to the VFW District (regional) level where one first-place winner is advanced to the VFW Department (state) level. The first-place winner at the Department level is then advanced into the VFW national competition.
DEADLINE
To qualify, all entries must be submitted/ postmarked by midnight Oct. 31.