2026 FFAM Essay Contest
The Friends of the Frontier Army Museum (FFAM) invite students to participate in our annual Essay Contest sponsored by our organization for scholarships. This is a wonderful opportunity to research and write about a topic pertaining to military history and/or Fort Leavenworth. We are looking forward to receiving thoughtful and inspiring essays from students. Contest rules and details are listed below.
Essay Topic:
In keeping with the upcoming 200th Anniversary of Fort Leavenworth, it only seems fitting to explore and understand how Fort Leavenworth affected westward expansion. This year’s questions (please select one):
“Fort Leavenworth stood at the crossroads of migration, military power, and national ambition. How did its presence shape both the success—and the consequences—of westward expansion?”
“In what ways did the trails passing through Fort Leavenworth transform the economic and military cultural landscape of the American West?”
Applicants are encouraged to use more than online resources for their research; please visit the U.S. Army’s Frontier Army Museum for inspiration and research. The Fort Leavenworth Frontier Army Museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4pm, and Sat 10am-4pm. Admission is free of charge. The digital gallery is located at Frontier Army Museum
Scholarships:
❏ 1st Place winner will receive $1,500.00
❏ 2nd Place winner will receive $1,000.00
❏ 3rd Place winner will receive $500.00
Rules:
Open to students in 12th grade or their first year of post-secondary education who reside within a 50-mile radius of Fort Leavenworth.
The applicant must have a parent or grandparent who is currently serving or retired from the military or is a current employee of Fort Leavenworth.
Essay submissions will be accepted between April 1 - 30, 2026. Email your essay along with the official entry form (click this link: Entry Form) together in one
email to president@ffam.us. All essays must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on April 30, 2026.
DO NOT put your name on the actual essay, just the entry form.
Submissions should be 1000-1500 words, double spaced with references.
Please reference the essay rubric before submitting the essay.
Winners of the contest will be notified by email before the end of May. The first-place winner will be asked to share his/her essay with Friends of the Frontier Army Museum during a catered event in late May/early June. All winners will be awarded their cash prize at the catered event.
Sincerely, Friends of the Frontier Army Museum
