Programs

VFW Post 6464 is pleased to support patriotic education in our community via five core programs.

Patriot’s Pen:

The Patriot’s Pen program is open to all students in 6^th through 8^thgrades. Students are asked to prepare a 300-to-400-word essay on the provided theme. Entries must be in the hands of VFW Post 6464 before midnight on October 31^st. (In an effort to ensure applications are received in time, I will be at VFW Post 6464, 215 Veterans Drive between the hours of 7:00 pm and Midnight to accept application.)

Entries may be submitted with physical documents, or they may be submitted electronically using the Scholar’s App website. See our Scholar’s App page.

The 2026-2027 theme is "What a Veteran Taught Me About America”

VFW Patriot’s Pen Scholarship Listing: $56,000.00 in scholarships, 1^stPrize $5,000.00

Patriot’s Pen Entry Form Fillable

Student Biographical Questionnaire

Parents & School Release Form

Helpful hints for a successful essay entry

The essay is 300 to 400 words on a single piece of paper (Times Roman 11 points
Keep your essay focused on the assigned theme.
Use of AI will disqualify your entry.
Do not include titles in your essay. Detracts from your word count.
Word count must be 300+ words and does not exceed 400 words.
Do NOT include references to yourself including your name, parent’s names, your school, or other location information. This include putting your name at the top of the page.
This is not a book report. Footnotes and other references aren’t needed. We want to read your thoughts on the assigned theme. Remember you only get 300 to 400 words.
Perform a "word count” on your essay to ensure that you are within the 300-to-400-word limit. Essays outside of that word count will be disqualified.

Application Hints

Fillable PDF applications are on the vfw6464.org website.
Students email tie the student’s entry to the essay.
School email is not recommended as responses may go to the spam folder.
For the parents that do not want to use the applicants preferred email, which the parents monitor, then the parent can use their email instead.
For those families where multiple family members are eligible to apply and the parents do not want to use the applicants preferred email, which the parents monitor, then the following applies; george.wygant@yahoo.com+Matthew,george.wygant@yahoo.com+Andrew,george.wygant@yahoo.com+Kimberlyetc. This is the work around proved by Scholar’s App

A copy of the essay and application should be saved to a thumb drive and turned in with the hard copy of the essay and signed application. This will assist the post chairperson who will be uploading this information into Scholar’s App. This way the middle/jr. high students do not have to answer the profile questions for other scholarship information.

If the student is selected as a first-place winner, then a Wallet size head & Shoulder picture, students biograph and parents/school release form will be required. Parents will be notified after the post judging is completed. We will have a short window to build first place winner packages to advance the student to the VFW 6^th District competition. The post can submit one first place winner for every fifteen-application judged. The more application we receive, the more scholarships that can be awarded at the post level. Additional forms are available at vfw6464.org. Look at the Patriots Pen Page.

District 6 will have three awards with the first-place winner advancing to VFW Department of Michigan.

VFW Department of Michigan will have Twelve scholarship with one advancing to the VFW National Competition.

VFW National Competition will have 52 winners.

Voice of Democracy:

The Voice of Democracy Program is open to all students in 9^th through 12^th grades. Students are asked to prepare a 3-to-5-minute audio-only (MP3) recorded essay on the provided theme. Entries must be in the hands of VFW Post 6464 before midnight on October 31^st. (In an effort to ensure applications are received in time, I will be at VFW Post 6464, 215 Veterans Drive between the hours of 7:00 pm and Midnight to accept application.) vfw6464.org. See our Voice of Democracy Page.

Entries may be submitted with physical documents, or they may be submitted electronically using the Scholar’s App. See our Scholar’s App page.

The 2026-2027 theme is "What a Veteran Taught Me About America”

VFW Patriot’s Pen Scholarship Listing: $176,500.00 in scholarships, 1^stprize $35,000.00.

Voice of Democracy Entry Form

Student Biographical Questionnaire

Parents & School Release Form

Application Hint

Fillable PDF applications are on the vfw6464.org website.
Students email tie the student’s entry to the essay
Use MP3 - audio only – as the file format. Video entries and or music background entries are not allowed.
Keep your essay focused on the assigned theme.
Use of AI will disqualify your entry.
Record your essay in a quiet place with no background noises, music, or distractions. Your school’s chair and band department may have an acoustically quiet practice room that you could use.
Record your essay several times. Listen to your essay. Make adjustments. Presentation matters in this competition. Record your essay as many times as needed to get it right.
Do NOT include references to yourself including your name, parent’s name, your school, or other location information
Printed copy of your essay must accompany your recording. Where the recording and the essay do not have to be verbatim, they should be close.
Check the time of your essay. Ensure you are within that 3-to-5-minute time limit. Recordings outside the 3-to-5-minute range will be disqualified.
School email is not recommended as responses may go to the spam folder.

A copy of the MP3 recording, essay and application should be saved to a thumb drive and turned in with the hard copy of the essay and signed application. This will assist the post chairperson who will be uploading this information into Scholar’s App

If the student is selected as a first-place winner, then a Wallet size head & Shoulder picture, students biograph and parents/school release form will be required. Parents will be notified after the post judging is completed. We will have a short window to build first place winner packages to advance the student to the VFW 6^th District competition. The post can submit one first place winner for every fifteen-application judged. The more application we receive, the more scholarships that can be awarded at the post level. Additional forms are available at vfw6464.org. Look at the Voice of Democracy Page.

District 6 will have three awards with the first-place winner advancing to VFW Department of Michigan.

VFW Department of Michigan will have twelve scholarship with one advancing to the VFW National Competition.

VFW National Competition will have 52 winners.

Teacher of the Year:

Fellow teachers, supervisors, or any other interested individual may submit nominations one each from Elementary (K-5), Junior High (6-8) and High School (9-12). Self -submitted nominations are allowed.

The individual making the nomination must submit the nominated teacher’s name on the completed VFW Teacher Nomination Form. Included with the form must be a 350 word or less description of why the nominee should be selected. Describe the teacher’s innovation teaching and resource development methods, as well as his/hir dedication teaching.

The nominations must be submitted to VFW Post 6464, 215 Veterans Drive no later than midnight October 31, 2026. National Smart-Maher Teacher of the Year Brochure

VFW Smart-Maher Teacher of the Year Brochure (Nomination Form)

Winners will be notified no later than November 7, 2026. The following additional paperwork will need to be submitted to VFW Post 6464 to accompany the original application and 350-word nomination letter, no later than November 14, 2026

· Nation Smart-Maher VFW Citizenship Advancement Form

· One page listing the teacher’s innovations and accomplishments (may use both sides.)

· Do not exceed five 8 ½ x 11 pages of documentation.

· A quality head and shoulder photograph (Wallet Size Picture)

Scouting: (Scouts BSA Eagle Scout, Girl Scout Gold Award, Venturing Summit or Sea Scouts Quartermasters Award)

Scout of the Year Application

Cadet of the year Award:

This is a VFW ward for special recognition of outstanding achievement and exceptional leadership for Junior Cadets. This award seeks to recognize a remarkable cadet who will become a leader in their community and serve their country.

Criterial for Civil Air Patrol and Naval Sea Cadets:

Good academic standing

· Satisfactory progress in the Cadet Program

· Outstanding Achievement in Community Service and /or the Cadet Program

· Outstanding leadership in the Cadet program

· High moral character

· Exceptional professionalism in appearance and action (Officer Award)

· Involvement in Patriotic Programs, Drill Team, Color Guard, etc.

· Demonstrated potential and willingness to assume higher levels of responsibility

Additional Criteria for JROTC Awards:

Positive attitude toward the JROTC program
Must be enrolled as a 10^th – 12^thgrade JROTC student

· Active in at least one other student extra-curricular activity (Music, Athletics, Government, etc.)

Submit Cadet of the Year Application:

VFW Cadet of the Year Form

Submit the following with the form

A copy of you most current transcript
Recommendation letter (As many as possible) from you community, teachers and fellow students
A self-written letter regarding your accomplishments and listed in the qualification criteria
Any other supporting documents