The American Legion Department of Pennsylvania High School Oratorical Scholarship Program contest was developed primarily to instill a better knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States in high school students. Other objectives include the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship. Another purpose of the program is to assist students in paying the high cost of a college education. The student must be presently enrolled in a high school or junior high school (public, parochial, military, private or home school), commencing with grade nine and terminating with grade twelve, during the time of participation at any level of the contest. The student must either live in or attend school in Pennsylvania and can only compete in Pennsylvania. High school students that graduate early during the school year are eligible to compete if they are not enrolled in a college, university, trade school or other institution of higher learning at the time of the department finals contest. These scholarships may be used to attend any college, trade school, or university in the United States. A contestant must give both his or her prepared oration and the assigned topic discourse to receive the scholarship. The student must submit an application to any Pennsylvania Post for sponsorship by November 30, 2025. The assigned topics for 2026 are: Amendment IV; Article III, Section 3; Article IV, Section 4; and Article VI, Clause 3. Please visit the award's website for more information.