Scholarships
Brian Eukers Memorial Scholarship
Post 182 and the Eukers family partner to award an annual scholarship to a graduating senior at Granby Memorial High School. Seniors are presented with a topic revolving around patriotism, history and American government for which they write an original essay. Essays are evaluated by the Post Scholarship committee for clarity of thought, presentation, scholarship and patriotism. The winner is presented a check at the high schools annual awards ceremony. For more information, please contact the Post's Scholarship committee at AmericanLegionPost182@gmail.com.
Girls State
ALA Laurel Girls State is a program in Americanism. The American Legion Auxiliary in CT sponsored the first Laurel Girls State in 1944. The first Chairman/Director was Lillian Yerrington and it was at a time when WWII was raging. The economy relied on a female workforce and the “can do” attitude developed. Since then, the program has grown and thousands of young women have participated. The aim of the program is civic responsibility. Most went on to careers other than politics but there are a few notables such as our current Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Sen. Mae Flexer.
ALA Laurel Girls State aims are as follows:
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To prepare girls of high school age for a world where government touches our lives in many ways.
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To teach the principles of democracy in a representative form of government.
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To provide an atmosphere for teaching the duties, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship.
For more information, visit Connecticut Laurel Girls State site.
Boys State
American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students. It is a participatory program where each participant becomes a part of the operation of his local, county and state government.
The American Legion Boys State of Connecticut is a six-day hands on experience in the operation and fundamentals of government. Connecticut Boys State draws together the best and brightest high school juniors to help lead them down the path of individual success and leadership through "doing," not just learning.
One idea paramount above any other at Connecticut Boys State: That the individual is the one with the power to change the world. Whether athlete or politician, journalist, or scientist, each and every one of us has the power to make a difference in the world.
Using our democratic system as a basis, we equip the participants, or citizens, each year to construct their own state, utilizing the core values that hold true in our everyday lives. We teach the need for competition, the value of public service, the strength of the individual voice and vote. By reinforcing these basic American ideals, we help to shape the future of our society. This is what the American Legion Boys State of Connecticut program is all about. Citizens of The American Legion Boys State of Connecticut are eligible to receive college credit and scholarships for participating and successfully completing Boys State.
High school juniors are selected by local American Legion Posts to attend the program. In most cases, expenses associated with attending this program are paid by a sponsoring American Legion Post, a local business or another community-based organization.
American Legion Boys State is currently conducted in 49 Departments of The American Legion. Hawaii does not conduct a program. As separate corporations, Boys States vary in content and method of procedure, but each and every Boys State adheres to the basic concept of the program - that of teaching government from the township to the state level.
Samsung Scholarship
Worldwide electronics leader Samsung endowed a scholarship fund of $5 million to be administered by The American Legion in 1996. Meant to show appreciation for U.S. veterans who came to Korea's aid during its struggle against communist forces in the Korean War, the Samsung American Legion Scholarship Program established a series of scholarships derived from interest and other income from the principal amount. In 2016, 10 $20,000 scholarships and 89 $750 scholarships were awarded. To date, the Samsung American Legion Scholarship has awarded more than $5.3 million to approximately 1,970 applicants.
High school juniors who complete either a Boys State or Girls State program and are a direct descendant or a legally adopted child of a wartime veteran who served on active duty during at least one of the periods of war officially designated as eligibility dates for American Legion membership are eligible to apply for the "Samsung American Legion Scholarship" and could be awarded up to $20,000. Applications should be filled out before attending the Boys or Girls State programs and handed to staff on arrival. Applications for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship are available in the Documents & Forms section of this site. Visit The American Legion's main site to fill out an application form or get more information.
Legacy Scholarship
Since the inception of The American Legion Legacy Scholarship in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks, The American Legion has offered its support to the children of fallen post-9/11 service members through this scholarship. Beginning with the 2017 award year, The American Legion expanded the scholarship to include children of VA rated, post-9/11 veterans with a disability of 50 percent or higher.
Our organization remains committed to honoring the memory and service of our fallen and disabled comrades by ensuring their children are afforded the best possible educational opportunities. Despite the best efforts of our federal and state governments to offer financial aid, an ever-broadening gap in funding is still notable. Through its American Legion Legacy Scholarship, The American Legion is able to ensure the children of our fallen and disabled, post-9/11 veterans are able to cover the cost of their educations, including graduate school.
Visit The American Legion's main site to fill out an application form.