Voice of Democracy
February 10, 2008
- Contact
- Kris Harmer
- Address
- 406 W 34 St
- Kansas City, MO 64111
- Phone
- 816-968-1117
- Fax
- 816-968-1149
- Email Address
- Application Deadline
- Varies
- Number Of Awards
- See Description
- Maximum Amount
- $30,000
- Website Address
- Scholarship Description
- The VFW’s “Voice of Democracy” Scholarship Contest is an annual nationwide audio essay competition designed to give high school students, ages 15 – 18, the opportunity to voice their opinion on their responsibility to our country.
Each student must record their essay on an audio cassette tape or CD (3-5 minutes in length), on an annual patriotic theme. Each Department (state) first place winner receives an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals held in Washington, D.C. Four fun-filled days of tours, visits to monuments and meeting with heads of state and often the President of the United States. The National Finals judging takes place in Washington, D.C. (just prior to the student’s arrival) when the judges listen to the fifty-four tapes representing the state winners (from each of our fifty states, the District of Columbia, Pacific Areas, Latin America/Caribbean and Europe.) Once all of the finalists’ audio essays have been reviewed, the judges make their final decisions and we announce all of the National college scholarship winners during the trip to Washington, D.C. at a special “Parade of Winners” ceremony on March 6. Under VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary sponsorship, the annual national scholarships have increased to 54 fully funded scholarships totaling $146,000.
The first place winner now receives a $30,000 scholarship and all national finalists receive at least a $1,000 scholarship. The total monetary value of scholarships, bonds, and awards provided by VFW Posts, Auxiliaries, Districts, County Councils, Departments and National amounts to over $2.5 million, and more than 80,000 students participate nationwide.
