Education

Auxiliary members believe that a solid educational foundation in reading and writing, math, science and history is the cornerstone of American freedom. The Auxiliary’s Education program promotes quality education for every child and supports students with the ability or desire to continue their education beyond high school. Auxiliary members work actively with educators in local schools to develop and maintain an educational system that serves the needs of all children at every level. Auxiliary volunteers sponsor and support state national education legislation; establish new scholarship opportunities for students; alert eligible students to existing scholarship resources; help students identify career opportunities and professional job requirements; and encourage students to plan early for college and apply for scholarship opportunities.

The education of all of America’s children is essential for the future of our nation. The American Legion Auxiliary joins with The American Legion to aid and support the basic rights of all children to receive an appropriate education.

That education should prepare them for a fulfilling life in the 21^st century.

The pattern followed in the development of the program corresponds with the following objectives and policies adopted by The American Legion.

1. To help make it possible for any student, who has the ability or the desire, to receive an education beyond high school.

2. To encourage the membership of The American Legion and its affiliated organizations to take an active part in the development and maintenance of a school system that will serve the needs of all children at every level of education.

3. To encourage students to select careers where personnel shortages exist.

Policies:

1. To explore and summarize existing scholarship sources.

2. To make known to potentially eligible students the sources of scholarships that exists.

3. To develop new scholarship opportunities for the increasing number of students who will reach college age in the years ahead.

4. To cooperate with established organizations in the recruitment of students for careers where personnel shortages exist.

Progress of the Education program depends upon the close-working relationship between national, state, and local levels of our organizations. As an aid to all Education Committees to participate in the program’s progress, we have drawn up the following suggested duties.

Duties:

1. To initiate and support state legislation and national mandates which would establish scholarship opportunities for students and maintain a summary of such scholarships that exist within their state.

2. To publicize The American Legion’s publication, “Need A Lift?” on the state and local levels.

3. To inform the membership of the American Legion Auxiliary of the program’s objectives.

4. To encourage students to plan for college and to apply for scholarship opportunities early in their senior year.

5. To cooperate with established organizations to encourage students to select careers that will provide the knowledge necessary for our nation’s economic growth and national security.

6. To inform The American Legion’s National Education Committee of changes in state laws, new scholarship opportunities, and general development of the program.

Beyond the efforts of establishing scholarships at the National, Department, and Unit levels of the American Legion Auxiliary, the membership is encouraged to disseminate scholarship and career information by making available to their

local high schools and libraries copies of

The American Legion’s National Education Committee handbook titled,

“Need A Lift?”.

This publication information summarized sources of almost all available scholarship and career information and can be secured from the

National Emblem Sales,

The American Legion, P.O. Box 1050,

Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-1050.

It is suggested that the Unit Education Committee not only thoroughly familiarize itself with the contents of “Need A Lift?” but with existing sources of scholarships available in their own states and communities.

Units should join with the Education Committee of the local American Legion Post to give cooperation and support to the expansion of legislation or develop legislation that would establish new scholarship sources for the increasing numbers of students reaching college age.