The Marysville Exempted Village Schools Board of Education meeting on August 15, 2024, featured a presentation from a representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3320, who provided information on two scholarship opportunities available for Union County students.

The first scholarship discussed was the "Voice of Democracy," which is open to students in grades 9 through 12. This program encourages students to write an essay and submit an audio recording of their work. The VFW highlighted that there is a substantial amount of funding available for this scholarship, totaling $2 million nationwide.

The second scholarship mentioned was the "Patriot's Pen," aimed at junior high school students in grades 6 through 8. This year's essay topic for the Patriot's Pen is "My Voice in America's Democracy." The representative noted that the Voice of Democracy essay prompt for older students is "Is America Today Our Forefathers' Vision?"

The VFW representative emphasized that while these scholarships are part of a national program, the local VFW Post 3320 also offers its own awards for Union County students, ensuring that even those who do not win at the national or state levels have opportunities for recognition and financial support.

The representative expressed a desire to engage with local teachers and administrators to further promote these scholarship opportunities within the schools. The board acknowledged this request positively.

Overall, the meeting underscored the commitment of the VFW to support local students through educational scholarships and foster connections with the school community.