2025-2026 VFW Auxiliary Department of Arkansas Youth Program

12/19/2025

12/13/2025

Happy Birthday to the United States Army National Guard!

Formed on December 13, 1636, in Massachusetts, the National Guard not only predates all other U.S. military branches, but the nation itself! The National Guard is now celebrating the big 3-8-9.

Did you join the VFW Auxiliary under the eligibility of a veteran who served in the United States National Guard? Let us know in the comments!

12/05/2025

December is Read a New Book Month!

For those of you with students, children or grandchildren, and/or those involved with local youth groups, there are dozens of books on our list of Patriotism Through Literacy Youth Activities initiative's Recommended Reads - we suggest reading them together, especially with emerging readers who need to practice their skills.

Some that are particularly fitting this month?
❄Jayylen's Christmas Wish by Lavaille Lavette (picture book)
❄Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story by Valerie Tripp (chapter book)
❄History Smashers: Pearl Harbor by Kate Messner (middle grade)

In addition, check out:
❄Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephen Krensky (picture book)
❄Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by John Hendrix (picture book)
❄The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas by Christine Ford & Trish Holland (picture book)

11/25/2025

Today kicks off National Book Week!

This annual celebration in the Philippines takes place from November 24-28 this year and celebrates public libraries while encouraging literacy and a love of reading. This recognition week has been held since 1934.

And we have the perfect book for this occasion, plucked right from our Patriotism Through Literacy Youth Activities Program list of Recommended Reads: At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly. This middle grade biography introduces young readers to Joey Guerrero, a native of the Philippines, who was diagnosed with leprosy (Hansen’s disease) during World War II; as a spy, she used her condition to her advantage and was eventually awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In addition, members can get to know our VFW Auxiliary sisters in the Philippines a bit better through the linked-below article in the latest edition of VFW Auxiliary Magazine. In Art in the Dark, Auxiliary 2485 members explain how they continued on with a Flag-making craft and educational experience during an unexpected blackout earlier this year.

Find the book here: https://www.erinentradakelly.com
Read the article here: https://tinyurl.com/Auxiliary2485

11/23/2025

This is the perfect time of year to gather resources to share with educators and youth about the VFW Auxiliary’s scholarships and contests! Scholarships ranging from $500-$15,000 are available for students in grades 9-12 and continuing education students age 21+.

Learn about the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest, the 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art contests and the Continuing Education Scholarship under the Scholarships & Contests tabs on www.vfwauxiliary.org. (Information is also available regarding the VFW's Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen contests, but the deadline for 2025-2026 entries has passed.)

11/23/2025

Today is the last day of American Education Week, the goal of which is to highlight and celebrate the importance and impact of public school education across the nation. This informational celebration has been recognized since 1921, initially sponsored by the American Legion and the National Education Association.

Our VFW Auxiliary members have been volunteering in public, private, charter and religious schools since our early years, even before we had a Youth Activities Program. One of our current projects is Patriotism Through Literacy, a Youth Activities Program initiative dedicated to providing students from preschool through high school diverse, inclusive, educational and engaging historical fiction and creative non-fiction to help them learn about America's past and present. (Download our 2025-2026 list of Recommended Reads here: https://vfwauxiliary.org/what-we-do/youth-activities)

Featured:
1. National President Ruby Godfrey (1957-1958) of California spearheaded the Classroom Helpers program, which encouraged Auxiliary members to volunteer in their local schools on a daily basis, including supervising during recess.
2. In the late 1980s, Auxiliary 3967 in Missouri visited William Southern Elementary School with free "Sweet Land of Liberty" coloring books for each student.
3. In 2003, when Florida Auxiliary 4287 learned that Three Points Elementary School students were saying the Pledge of Allegiance to small U.S. Flags perched atop teachers’ desks, they donated 45 large Flags for the school, one for each classroom.
4. In 2025, Pam Wozniak of Arizona Auxiliary 9907 met with second and third grade classes as part of the VFW's Veterans in the Classroom Month (November) with the goals of providing education and instilling "civic responsibility" in young students.

11/18/2025

Today kicks off American Education Week and it is also MALTA Monday, which means it's the perfect time to remind members to use our VFW and VFW Auxiliary joint press release, available behind MALTA member login under Member Resources, to inform the general public about youth scholarships and contests.

You can find it in the Youth Activities, Scholarships and Historian/Media Relations categories. Just fill in your local Post and Auxiliary details and you’re good to go!

Pictured: 2015 VFW Auxiliary Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest 7th Place winner, “United We Stand" by Megan Ross, sponsored by Auxiliary 2052, Michigan.

11/13/2025

11/11/2025

Great job Batesville. RAP cards were presented to third graders for lining the sidewalk with flags at Westside.

In honor of Veterans Day, our 3rd graders lined the front walkway with American flags. It is their way of showing respect and appreciation to the all the special Veterans who will be joining us tomorrow for the Veterans Day program.