Youth essay programs are there for all the young people

The Odessa VFW Auxiliary is proud to announce that their youth essay programs will be available with the beginning of a new school year. These programs are open to all students in grades 3-12. The programs are open to public-school, home-schooled and parochial-school students. Any home-schooled students who would like to participate may call Leora Nixon at 982-2847 for the entry forms. This year the Auxiliary is proud to announce that the Harrington school students will be participating as well.

Grades 3-5 participate in the Junior Essay program. It is a program with local, district and state levels. The theme this year is “What Can I do to Make our Country Better?”.

For grades 6-8, the Patriot’s Pen Program has local, district, state and national levels. The theme this year is: Why I Appreciate America’s Veterans.”

Grades 9-12 participate in the Voice of Democracy program. This is a written essay, plus a 3- to 5-minute speech. This year’s theme is: Why Veterans are Important to our Nation’s History and Future. This programs has local, district, state and national levels of competition.

If there are any artists out there we also have The Young American Creative Patriotic Art Program is also available to any young artists out there who may want to participate.

If a student wants to participate in any of these programs and their teacher at school is not participating, the student may nevertheless take part. These programs do not have to go through the school.

The top prize for the Patriot’s Pen Program is $5,000. For the Voice of Democracy Program it is $30,000. Each state winner gets a trip to Washington D.C.